Harry Potter and the Elven Court
by Griffin Quill
Summary: After the events of his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry knows of the Prophecy and his role in the war. As he wonders how to succeed in his task, another race watches him, one that long ago promised not to get involved in the affairs of man. Yet things change, and Harry needs all the help he can get... (AU)
1. Front Matter

**Front Matter**

**Acknowledgements:**

Thank you to all those that were involved in the initial development and rewriting of this story.

Thanks to the following people for their reviews on the first draft of the Elven Court: starboy454, Tostie, god of all, Diddleymaz, Frustr8dwriter, sweet-tang-honney, Irmorena, Harry potter527, wizmage, Fallen-Petals15, Man of Constant Sorrow, Ruinus, jdtdragonage, Hellenap, and HarryHermioneEdwardBella.

Last but certainly not least, thanks to Ruinus and Tostie for catching the inconsistencies and for pointing out the formatting on the dialogues. This has all been corrected in this revision.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Harry Potter, any of its characters or original storyline. This remains the property of J.K Rowling. I also do not own the languages of Quenya and Sindarin, as they are property of the Tolkien estate.

However, I do own any original storyline and characters.

* * *

**Author Notes:**

To all those that have left, thanks for your support. For those that remained, thank you for sticking around. Finally, to the newcomers: welcome! I hope that you all continue to enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Sincerely,

Griffin Quill


	2. A Shadow in the Dark

**I. A Shadow in the Dark**

Night gently extended its dark mantle over Little Whinging. Lights lazily flickered to life inside of homes, and people slowly began to prepare for their sleep. In Number 4 Privet drive, a deafening silence reined the house. Yet, as unnatural as this silence may have seemed to those that have lived long enough to notice how noisy the Dursleys are, this has been the mood since the beginning of the summer. Gone were the bellows of anger from the beefy man with thick hair, bushy moustache, and no neck. Gone were the shrieks of the tall horse-like woman with long neck. It had been replaced with an uneasy silence, born out of fear.

Of course, this much would be clear to anyone who would look on Vernon Dursley's face. A deep shade of purple dominated his features, making him look not unlike a plum. He spent countless hours muttering under his breath, swearing and cursing in manners that most people would deem uncivilized. Petunia Dursley spent her time with a face similar to one that has been given something foul to smell. Her horse-like face was pale and taught. Although she did not mutter and swear like her husband did, her thoughts were less than pleasant. As for the overly large boy currently sitting in front of the television, well, let's just say that as long as his favourite show was on and he had a large supply of food within arm's reach, all was well in the world of Dudley Dursley.

This leaves with the other inhabitant of Number 4 Privet Drive. Unbeknownst to most people, and much to the chagrin of the Dursleys, there was a fourth person in the house. He lay on his bed barely leaving his room, save for those few times were he needed to tend to his body's needs. His unruly jet black hair was plastered on his cold and sweaty brow. His usually vibrant green eyes were dull and bloodshot. A shudder wracked his wiry frame as new tears found their way down his eyes. His lightning bolt scar ached with a dull pain that had not left him since that fateful night at the Ministry. His mind, stuck in what seemed to be an endless loop, constantly replayed the events of that night. Yet it did not play all of the events. No, it seemed as if his mind took some form of sadistic pleasure in forcing him to relive the highlights of the evening: the tentacles of the brains latching on to Ron accompanied by his screams of pain and terror; the sickly purple spell strike Hermione and send her crashing on the cold floor, unable to rise again; the spell from Bellatrix that pushed Sirius through the veil; and the pain from the possession by Voldemort. But of all these, only two made him cry every time that he saw them: the memories of Hermione and Sirius. Sure, he was affected by Ron's as well, but the thought of Hermione being injured was something that he could not bear to watch ever again. The death of Sirius struck him the hardest out of everything. Having lost his parents to the hand of Lord Voldemort had left a vacuum in his heart, one that could never be filled. And yet Sirius had somehow begun to resemble the father figure that Harry never had. And like all those that truly mattered to Harry, he was quickly taken from him.

Tears streamed silently from his eyes, which momentarily flickered with anger towards the Headmaster. Had Harry been informed of the Prophesy sooner, he might have been able to prevent the entire event from ever taking place. Had he known the true nature of the nightmares that had plagued him throughout the entire year, he would have listened to Hermione's warning and would have perhaps acted differently. In the end, his anger was quickly washed away by a feeling of guilt that had become so entrenched in his mind and heart ever since the resurrection of Voldemort and the subsequent death of Cedric Diggory. _They died because of me. I am responsible… Sirius… Cedric… my parents… they all are dead because of me_, he thought bitterly. It was in these moments of total anguish that he often found himself wishing that he had died early on his first or second year, not so he would have been spared from his suffering, but so that others may have lived on. He still felt his heart wrench at the unconscious body of Hermione as it lay on the Infirmary, pale as Death. _She was always there for me, always by my side. And how did I repay her? By sending her to the Hospital Wing after she nearly died from a trap that I dragged her into. I almost lost two people that night._ These thoughts continued to plague him through the night, with the only respite coming from a sliver of gratitude towards his relatives for leaving him alone. Of course, he was more than aware that they had been threatened into this not three days ago by the Order, but it was appreciated nonetheless.

Hedwig hooted softly in another attempt to comfort her Master. Ever since they had returned, she had watched in anguish as Harry slipped further and further into depression, and she had been unable to do anything to help him. Over the years, Hedwig had developed a motherly instinct towards her Master. Maybe it was the fact that she had been the first creature to truly show love to the young wizard, but since then she had shouldered the responsibility of looking after Harry in whichever way she could. She often brought him dead mice in an attempt to provide him with some food and much needed comfort, but all her attempts had been useless. She often hooted in frustration at not being able to provide Harry with the loving embrace that he desperately needed. Instead, she was left to watch sadly as he curled himself into a small ball in an attempt of providing the warmth that he required, trying to soothe the pangs from his heart as his thoughts continued to revolve around the faces of Sirius and Hermione.

A sudden cry of rage startled the white owl and prompted her to glide and perch herself on the headboard of the bed. Harry screamed again into the mattress as his heart was filled hatred towards Voldemort for having once again taken something from him. For once again destroying any hopes that he could have of being with a normal, caring family. The screams soon turned to wails of anguish as the Prophecy replayed in is mind, decidedly focusing on one line: "neither shall live while the other survives". How was he, a mere boy of 15 almost 16 supposed to defeat Lord Voldemort, the single most powerful Dark Lord that the world had ever seen? He could barely defend himself against the Death Eaters from his infamous inner circle, and he was supposed to somehow defeat their master? And what was the power that Voldemort knew not? Dumbledore was convinced that it was Harry's ability to love. He seemed even more convinced after Harry had been able to successfully throw Voldemort out of his mind, but how was he supposed to use love? Hug the Dark Lord to Death? And so Harry sank even further into his agony and despair, while Hedwig frenetically hooted her comfort above him. Neither one noticed a figure that was standing outside the window, just far enough that light could not touch his features, but close enough that his outline was still visible.

Standing tall in the shadows stood a man that had not been seen for the past 1,000 years. Had anyone from that time stood there next to him, they would have said that he looked the same, that he had not aged a day. Of course, this was to be expected. After all, this was no ordinary man or wizard. He was one of the last High Elves to exist in the world.

He stood there, clad in black robes that hid the body beneath them. His eyes were like two pools of water of seemingly infinite depth. His skin shone weakly in the moonlight, giving him a god-like aura. His long hair cascaded in a river of the deepest gold with streaks of a dark brown, like the bark of a tree. His pointed ears, a signature of his race, quivered lightly in the night, listening to the faintest of sounds. As all Elves, his senses were heightened beyond those of any creature, magical and non-magical. He could see a person walking from miles afar, and he could hear each step that person took, along with the smell that the person carried with him. His face was one that women would melt over, expressing both ferocity and kindness; power and grace.

To an observant, he would seem not a day over 25. Then again, appearances can be deceiving. Lord Galdir was the oldest Elf alive, being over 1,100 years old. But these things mattered little to him. After all, age was but a number. What truly mattered was the wisdom and knowledge that had been acquired throughout his long years of existence. Casting his mind forward, Galdir reached out and skimmed the thoughts of the troubled youth. To his surprise, he first encountered the worried thoughts of Hedwig. Smiling at the strong bond between the familiar and the boy, Galdir pushed forward, and what he found made him freeze in horror. _I should have died that night. Maybe then Sirius would still be alive and Hermione would never have been harmed. I should have died with my parents…_ Galdir's eyes filled with grief as he continued to listen to Harry's thoughts. _So different, and yet so similar_, thought Galdir as he absentmindedly stroked the exposed part of his arm, tracing the black lines that were etched on his skin as he supressed a shudder at his memories. He could feel his heart grow cold as he silently relived the horrors of his youth, only to be magnified by the anguish that was rolling from Harry. He felt his eyes begin to change and he started to breathe deeply in order to bring his emotions back under control.

As soon as he was the master of his own emotions, he began to mutter in a language that had not been heard since the times of Merlin and the Four Founders of Hogwarts. Ancient Elvish was now almost a lost art, even amongst the Elves, which preferred to communicate and practice magic in Modern Elvish. But, knowledge of this language was very useful, not to mention its inherent beauty. Slowly increasing his tempo, Galdir raised his voice until it was little more than a whisper. As soon as the spell was completed, he retreated slowly into the night leaving no trace of his presence, save for a calm aura that now seemed to permeate the room were Harry Potter wept silently, unaware of the activity that was taking place where his owl once sat.

Hedwig felt a slight tingle in her as the Elvish magic took over. She was slowly levitated from her perching place as her wings slowly melted into arms, and her legs lengthened into those of a beautiful young woman. Her white feathers faded to leave behind a skin that a Veela would have envied. From her head spilled a stream of silvery hair that was softer than silk. Soon, there stood a woman so beautiful that wars would have easily been waged for her hand. The only remainder of the snowy white owl were her unnaturally bright yellow eyes. Hedwig glided gracefully over to the small mirror that was on the wall and studied herself. _So this is what having hands feels like_, she thought. She slowly twirled, admiring the soft silk dress that covered her gorgeous figure. A soft wail of anguish interrupted her meanderings as her attention was quickly brought back to her Master. She silently laid herself on the bed and turned Harry from facing the wall and placed his head in her chest. Harry immediately threw his arm over her and gripped her tightly, not caring that there was an unknown woman in her room, instead seeking shelter in the loving warmth that she provided. Hedwig wrapped her arms around Harry and slowly stroked his unruly hair, while whispering soft words of comfort in his ear. "It's okay Harry. I am here for you. You are not alone", she said to him. Slowly, Harry's shuddering slowed down and he eventually drifted into a dreamless sleep, as Hedwig continued to stroke his head, all the while thanking whatever power had allowed her to provide his Master with the comfort that no one else would give him. Shortly after Harry succumbed to the ever loving arms of Morpheus, Hedwig closed her eyes and joined him in the land of dreams.

* * *

Harry woke with a start as he sensed a foreign presence on his bed. He was keenly aware of his armed being draped over something. _Not something, someone_, he thought. Slowly reaching to grab his glasses, green suddenly met yellow as Harry's eyes locked with the stranger on his bed. He quickly realized that it was a woman that was hugging him tightly, a small smile etched on her beautiful face. "Morning Harry. Did you sleep well?" she asked in a voice that reminded Harry of someone, though he could not surmise who it belonged to. He became aware of several facts as his brain suddenly kicked into gear, clearing the cobwebs that had formed from days of inactivity. First and foremost, there was an unknown woman in her bed, and he had no memory of who she was or how she had gotten there. Also, he felt a great deal of trust towards this woman even though he had never seen her in his life. He felt that they knew each other for long, but he could swear it was the first time that he had laid eyes on her. Moreover, he was certain that he would remember having met her, as she was exceptionally beautiful. She looked maybe three to four years older than him, and her beauty easily outmatched that of Fleur and her sister Gabrielle, or at least so thought Harry. Slowly regaining control over his mouth, he managed to stutter a question: "W-Who are you?" he said with a heavy blush making his face glow. If Harry was expecting some form of reaction, the one that he received certainly was not it. The woman began to laugh softly. It was a clear and beautiful laugh that immediately seemed to wash all of Harry's worries away.

"You know Harry, if I didn't know you better, I'd feel insulted that you don't recognize me", she replied sweetly.

"Uhm… You still haven't answered my—" His train of thought was interrupted as his eyes snapped back and really noticed the yellow orbs on the woman's face. They seemed so familiar… "Hedwig?" he asked incredulously.

"Bingo! I mean, I know I look different, but you'd think I'd be easier to recognize" she said as she folded her arms indignantly.

"But how—"

"Think Harry. How could I have changed from a snowy owl to this?" she asked, Harry scrunched his face in thought.

"Magic is the obvious answer but I didn't cast it. I don' think the Ministry would be too happy with me doing magic here again", replied Harry.

"Right on one. It was magic but it was not your own. I would know" she said.

"How would you…? Never mind, better question: how did this happen? It was one of the Order wasn't it? It was Fred or George or Tonks. This has prank written all over it", said Harry cautiously. Hedwig puffed her chest in a way so reminiscent of her owl form and smacked Harry in the head.

"Harry James! How dare you suggest that I am a prank! Here I am in this form to help you and what is your reply? A _prank_! You'd think that all those years of hanging out with Hermione would've taught you something", she said indignantly. Harry stared confused at her.

"B-But—"

"Listen to me very carefully: you can't transform an animal into a human", she said with her eyes narrowed.

"So you really are Hedwig?" he asked. This earned him another slap on the head.

"Of course I'm Hedwig you big dolt! How else do you explain my mysterious appearance in your room?" she asked.

On hindsight, Harry should not have asked such obvious questions. He knew that it was impossible to fully transfigure an animal into a complete human. It was possible to mimic human behaviour with magic, but it would never be as complex as the attitude of Hedwig.

"Sorry, I guess I should've known", said Harry.

"Darn right you are", replied Hedwig.

"But how? How did you do it?"

"I don't know Harry. I was perched on your bed when I suddenly felt a slight tingling sensation that eventually levitated me away from the bed. My body started to change, and eventually I ended up as you see me now", she explained.

"Hmmm. So can you switch back or do I need to get a new owl?" If looks could kill, Harry would have died the second he uttered the last syllable from the glare that Hedwig gave him.

"You _will not_ get another owl! Of course I can change back! I haven't done it because I can help you more as a human than as a bird. Trust me, I know" she said.

"Help me how?" asked Harry.

"For starters, we'll start with your feelings of the Ministry raid. It's not healthy to bottle up like that Harry, nor should you spend your days like this. Sirius would not be happy if he saw you like this."

The effect was immediate. Upon hearing Sirius' name, Harry's eyes welled up with tears and he started sobbing again. Hedwig quickly reached forward and hugged the weeping boy. "It wasn't your fault Harry. There was nothing you could have done to change things. You did what you felt was right given the little information that you had" she whispered. Harry continued to sob.

"B-But h-e died because of m—"

"You listen to me now Harry James Potter" said Hedwig forcefully. "Sirius' death was not your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame Bellatrix. She was the one that killed him Harry. Not you." Hedwig cupped Harry's head with her hands and forced him to look at her. "You did nothing wrong Harry" she said softly. _She's right you know_, whispered a voice inside his head that was strangely reminiscent of his own. _Sirius died the way that he wanted to die: doing something, defending his godson; not stuck in that horrible house like he had been for so long_. Harry could not find any flaws with the voice's reasoning.

"I just miss him so much" he said, breaking down into sobs once more. Save these were not sobs of anguish or self-loathing. This was a child mourning the loss of everything that he ever wanted: his family. For the first time in 15 years, Harry wept for the loss of his parents, Cedric, his godfather, and the childhood that he was denied.

* * *

Outside, hidden in the shadows of a nearby tree and a considerable set of wards, Galdir smiled softly as he felt the tension roll off in waves from the young wizard. He noticed quickly that the foul mood of the other inhabitants of Privet Drive was threatening to overtake the warning that they had been given, and he swore softly in Elvish. _He does _not_ need this right now you insufferable idiot! Why are you incapable of following the simplest of instructions I wonder?_ Shaking his head in clear annoyance, he started to mutter softly in Elvish, erecting wards around Harry's room so he would not be disturbed. Satisfied with the results, he proceeded to scan the house for any additional means of protection, having neglected to do so before in favour of providing the grieving child with some much needed support. He quickly spotted some mild blood wards, that were little more than the minimum required to protect someone of such importance as Harry Potter. He also noticed a stumbling figure walking around the side of the house. She was, of course, hidden with a Disillusionment Charm, but Galdir could very easily see through such meagre spell. _A metamorphagus! Well, I must say that I am impressed Harry. Quite a unique crowd you hang around with. It has been a long count of years since I last saw one of her kin. At least I know that Harry is reasonably well protected, but a few enhancements are in order, I believe_. He began to mutter a very long and complex series of spells in Ancient Elvish, and slowly, an invisible fabric extended itself from his fingertips and began to envelop the house. As soon as the wards were done, Galdir turned around and retreated into the shadows. _There is still much to prepare before the next meeting… _he thought as he disappeared without a sound.

* * *

By the time that Harry finished crying, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders; a weight that he had not even realized he was carrying.

"Feel better?" asked Hedwig.

"Y-Yes. I think it's still going to be a while until I'm fully alright again, but I definitely feel loads better than I used to", replied Harry.

"Good, you certainly look better than you did yesterday", said Hedwig.

"I just can't shake off the feeling that I could've done more to save them. Every time that something happens, I seem to rely too much on luck. And we both know that it has cost me more than it has solved things", said Harry slowly.

"True. You are still alive, which is what matters in the end, at least if the Prophecy is to be believed—"

"How do you know of the Prophecy? I don't remember telling you that", said Harry.

"I don't know. I've been getting a massive overload of information since I changed". Hedwig's brow creased in thought. "Come to think of it, I think that these are your memories. I know way too much, considering for the most part of the year I am cooped up in the owlery at Hogwarts. I think that I have some form of bond with you, but I'm not entirely sure. That is unless…"

"Unless what? I mean, it's not that I mind or anything, it's just weird. I mean, you are a lot smarter than most owls, so I am not that surprised—"

"Oh! How could I have missed that! It was in one of your textbooks from school! You know, the one that described familiars?" Harry just looked at her, confusion written all over his face. Hedwig swatted his head.

"_Oi!_ What was that for?" asked Harry as he gingerly massaged his offended scalp.

"How you can hang out with Hermione and not retain more than the bare minimum is beyond me. There was a passage in one of your books that described that true familiars can form bonds with their masters, and that it would give them a better relationship than most animals", huffed Hedwig.

"So you are a true familiar then?" asked Harry.

"It certainly seems that way. In either case, we got side-tracked. The Prophecy. What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't given it much thought to be honest. Dumbledore seems convinced that the power he knows not is love. I mean, it makes some sense given how I managed to push him off my mind when he possessed me, but it still seems a bit farfetched. I mean, it's not like I can hug him to death or something is it?" Hedwig chuckled lightly.

"An amusing thought for sure, but not likely to happen. I cannot guess what that power is either. Given what I have seen, I know that you are unusually powerful, but I don't think that it is anywhere remotely close to matching Voldemort's power", said Hedwig.

"True. I mean, he has decades of experience behind him, and I am barely 16! How am I supposed to do this?!" he yelled in frustration.

"You could begin by preparing yourself a little better", offered Hedwig.

"Come again?"

"Look, it's not like you are really trying in school. If you dedicated yourself a bit more to your studies, it could prove useful. Though you probably won't learn a spell that can defeat Voldemort in class, it can certainly give you the foundations that you need to stop him", she explained.

"Hmm…"

"Look at it this way, Hermione is the brightest witch right?"

"Without a doubt."

"Right, but she just knows things. She can read a book and memorize it, but can she readily apply the spells? Or even, can she perform them on her first try?"

"I guess the answer to both would be no. I mean, Charms and Transfiguration maybe, but not for Defence. And she has difficulties thinking on her feet", he replied.

"Exactly. Now imagine if you had her knowledge of spells combined with your ability to do them all on the first try and with your power."

"But I can't do them on my first try. It's only worked when…"

"When you were properly motivated. Imagine if you could do that constantly, and with a huge knowledge of spells", said Hedwig.

"I mean, it sounds great and all, but how would I even go about it? It's not like I can practice magic here without somebody finding out."

"True, but no one is preventing you from reading. Understand, Harry. You already know the majority of the spells, what you now need is the theory behind them, and also a greater variety. Learn the spells, and when you get to Hogwarts, practice them."

"I guess that would work. I should also reconsider my choices in classes, I suppose", he said thoughtfully.

"It would be a good idea yes. You could see if you can take the same classes as Hermione", she suggested.

"That would work. Could probably get her to tutor me while I'm at it…"

His attention was quickly drawn towards the window, as a small owl sped towards them. As soon as Pigwidgeon entered the room, it started zooming all over the place, until it finally decided to settle on Hedwig's perch. He quickly abandoned that idea after receiving a death glare from Hedwig. He proceeded to offer Harry his leg so he could remove the two letters that were attached to it.

"Well, they are from Ron and Hermione. But I'll look at them later. Right now, I am in urgent need of a shower and food", said Harry. Hedwig nodded.

"You do stink you know", she said.

Harry chuckled softly as he gathered his things and left for the bathroom. After his shower, Harry left for the kitchen in the hopes that he would be able to nick some food from the kitchen. To his surprise, the Dursleys had decided to leave for the day, since the house was empty. He fixed himself a better breakfast that he would have otherwise, completely unaware that the food that he took magically restored itself. Bringing some extras so he could feed Hedwig, Harry returned to his room. He entered in the middle of a staring match between Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. Pig seemed to want to move back to the comfort of the perch, and Hedwig's stare was daring him to do so. In the end, Pig elected the safest choice and quickly left the room. Harry laughed for the first time since he had returned.

"I don't know what you wanted to eat, so I just brought you some of what I had", offered Harry.

"Thanks. I believe that human food should sit well with me while I am in this form", she said. After eyeing the food that was brought to her, she decided to meticulously eat it. While she had her breakfast, Harry decided to read the letters that he had received.

_Harry,_

_How are you mate? How are the muggles treating you? Haven't heard from you since we got back from school. _

_Things are boring here at the Burrow, although the Order does keep having meetings every so often._

_I really wish Snape would stop coming. That slimy git._

_Anyway, hope to hear from you soon mate._

_Ron_

Harry sighed after finishing the letter. That was Ron alright. Short and to the point. At least he had not mentioned Sirius._ I probably have Hermione to thank for that_ he thought. He placed the letter aside and wrote a quick response in some spare parchment that he had lying nearby.

_Ron,_

_I'm fine. The muggles have ignored me the entire time that I've been here. Kind of thankful for that actually._

_How can things be boring with the Order there?_

_Yeah, I agree about Snape. But he is on our side, or so we are told._

_How is your family?_

_Harry_

He rolled it up and prepared it for Hedwig, who was currently drinking her glass of orange juice. Harry smiled at her and then turned to Hermione's letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? How are your relatives treating you? How are you coping?_

_I sincerely hope that you are not blaming yourself for anything that happened. Harry, it was NOT your fault. You had no way of knowing it was a trap and took the decision that you felt was right with the information that you had._

_Do not blame yourself for Sirius' death. He died defending you, which I am sure is what he would have wanted._

_I'm fine. Fully recovered and already started the assignments. Already finished with Defence, Charms and Potions. Have you started your assignments yet? You should really try to finish them on time this year, I know you are usually trying to finish them at the last minute like Ron is. He is a bad influence on you._

_On a different note, you will be pleased to know that the Daily Prophet has finally accepted that you were right and have stopped printing bad things about you. The news that they are printing are very grim though. There have been several attacks against muggles already and also some against muggleborns. Nothing major, but there have been enough Deaths for people to start panicking. The Order is worried, since they have not been able to track the attacks or stop them._

_Anyway, I hope that you are fine and doing your homework._

_When do you think you can come over? I am staying with the Weasleys and I really miss being with you._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

He found that although the mentioning of his godfather did make him sad, it did not depress him as it would have before this morning. His brow creased in worry at the news of the Death Eater attacks. He knew that Voldemort was gathering more followers, and that his attacks would only increase in number and violence. A feeling of impotence crept over him, as he knew that he could do nothing to stop them from happening. Shaking his head, Harry wrote his reply to Hermione and called Hedwig.

"Do you think you can deliver these form me? I would have sent them with Pig, but you kind of scared him away", he said with a smile.

"I did no such thing. It's not my fault that owl is so bloody annoying. Seriously, is it really that hard for him to stay put in one place?" she said in annoyance.

"Probably not. But then again, that's Pig for you. Both of them are at the Burrow, so you can just deliver the letters there", said Harry as he offered the letters to her.

"Fair enough. I want to see you with your nose in the books when I return though. It shouldn't take me that long."

Hedwig stretched herself from the bed, and started glowing softly as she prepared for the change. With a small _pop_, the snowy owl that Harry had always known was standing near his window. She offered her leg so he could tie the letters to it.

"Be careful girl. I'll see you when you get back." Hedwig hooted in reply and nipped his fingers gently. With a flap of her wings, she took off. Harry watched her until he could not follow her anymore, and with a sigh, grabbed a book from under his bed and started reading.

* * *

Having returned from his other tasks, Galdir watched as Hedwig left the house with two letters attached to her leg. Quickly muttering in Elvish, he warded the owl so no harm would happen to her, and to make sure the letters were not intercepted. Turning around to face Number 4, he reached out with his consciousness and located Harry in his bedroom reading. _I'm glad that the spell worked as expected. He seems much more at ease now_, thought Galdir. _He also seems more determined to learn spells and broaden his horizons. I shall have to return to that later on, once certain things have been dealt with. Well, might as well make myself comfortable. It's going to be a while_. After a quick spell, Galdir conjured a pillow and began to meditate.

Lord Galdir continued to watch over Harry as the day waned slowly into the night. A figure flickered next to him, awakening from his meditative state. His robes were grey, as opposed to the black that Galdir wore. His eyes flickered a light brown in the growing shadows.

"Lord Duvainor, to what do I owe this pleasure tonight?" asked Galdir in Modern Elvish. His voice was cold, and the temperature of the area seemed to drop by a couple of degrees. Lord Duvainor seemed unaffected by his tone, but his eyes sparkled with anger.

"A message from the Council, Lord Galdir. They have agreed to place the next gathering two days from now. Your presence is requested, as usual." The projection's voice sounded strained, and Galdir could clearly see the sneer that was on his face. Galdir sighed.

"It is not customary to give so short notice on a meeting like this. Is there something that you are withholding, Lord Duvainor?" he asked coolly. The relation with Duvainor was stressed to say the least. There was long feud between the two families. The feud itself was not the problem. It was the topic that it was on that was the issue, and the actions that this feud had spurned.

"No, Lord Galdir", answered Duvainor with a sneer that would make Snape proud. "I am merely passing on the message that was given to me by the Head."

"Very well Lord Duvainor. I shall see you at the meeting then. May the stars watch over you" He raised two fingers to his brow in the accustomed sign of farewell. Of course, the fact that they even bothered with such trivialities was a mark of their upbringing. After all, formalities must be observed.

"May they watch over you, Lord Galdir." Duvainor mimicked the gesture disdainfully and swiftly disappeared. Galdir returned to watching over Harry, who was beginning to fall asleep over his desk. With a quick mental suggestion to get to bed, the youth slowly transferred his tired body from his chair to his bed and promptly fell asleep. Ensuring that there would be no disturbances in his sleep, Lord Galdir disappeared into the night.


	3. The Council Meets

**II. The Council Meets**

If it were possible to dig a trench just by walking in circles, then the depression in Ginny Weasley's room would have already gone through to the next level in the Burrow. The culprit of such actions continued her work diligently, not taking a moment to rest after having returned to the room from breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys. To say that Hermione Granger was worried would be similar to saying that she liked books. She was not worried. She was downright terrified. _Why oh why did I ever write that? _'I miss being with you'_?! Really! What is Harry going to think? What is Ron going to think? Finally we manage to get somewhat together over the summer and now I do this?! What was I thinking?! How did that even happen?!_ This berating dialogue continued well into the afternoon. Finally, realising that panicking would not get her anywhere; she decided to distract herself by doing more homework. Fate, as it would seem, was not without a sense of humour. The second she opened her textbook to begin reading, a snowy white owl entered the room and landed next to her. "HEDWIG!" she shrieked. The mentioned bird cocked her head to the side eyeing her confusedly. Hands shaking, Hermione untied the single roll of parchment that was attached to the owl's leg. Taking a small breath to calm herself, she slowly unrolled it, and braced herself for its contents.

_Hermione,_

_I'm ok. The Dursleys have backed up, and they have pretty much ignored me all the summer, which is very nice. _

_In relation to Sirius, I'm fine. It's hard not to blame myself for what happened, seeing the end result. I am so sorry that you got hurt Hermione. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish Sirius was still here. But I am not going to spend any more time feeling sorry for myself. I decided to start taking my studies more seriously, and am actually going to start my homework today!_

_Ron is not a bad influence. I prefer to think of him as a distraction. A very prolonged distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. I should have imagined that you had started working on your assignments. Somehow, the fact that you have finished three of them does not surprise me in the least. I am currently working on Charms and Transfiguration. Probably going to leave Potions until the very last minute though. I am really not looking forward to that assignment._

_As for the Daily Prophet, I couldn't care any less about their opinions at this point. The Ministry Lobby had to be wrecked by Voldemort before they decided to believe me. At least they have admitted it and they are printing things as they should. For now, at least._

_The news of the muggleborn attacks is concerning. I had suspected as such, since my scar had been prickling for the last couple of days. Oddly enough, it stopped today. I am really happy about it, so I am not questioning it._

_Good to hear from you, Hermione. I hope I can come to the Burrow soon. I miss being with you guys._

_Harry_

Hermione breathed a long sigh of relief and collapsed on the nearest bed. _He did not notice! Thank God. But why didn't he notice? How could he have ignored that sentence? How could he… and _why_ am I getting so worked up about this? Why do I care so much if Harry noticed or not that I missed him? It's not like I fancy him… do I? _She slowly sank back down in her chair as he chewed her lip worriedly at this new line of thought. _Do I fancy Harry? Do I want to be…? NO! I am with Ron. I fancy Ron, not Harry._ Nodding strongly at this conclusion, Hermione opened her book and continued reading, trying to ignore that nagging feeling that there was the possibility, however remote, that she was wrong about Ron. A small smile crossed her face when she thought of Harry taking her studies more seriously, and found herself wishing that he would drop those awful courses and join her in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Shaking her head to get rid of such thoughts, she turned her attention to the book she was attempting to read, only to let her gaze wander to the letter and the spot where the snowy owl had once stood.

* * *

Harry Potter was not the most brilliant person when it came to girls. Then again, since when are men brilliant in this respect at all? It was only until the morning after he had received the letter that he realized that there was something odd about the letter that Hermione sent him. He reread the entire thing several times, and still could not figure out what it was. It was after a gruelling session with his Transfiguration homework that the offending phrase decided to show itself. "I miss being with you" she had written. _What does that mean? Does it mean that she just misses being with the group as a whole or me specifically? I thought that she liked Ron. As far as I know, they were planning on dating over the summer. Did things not work out? Did something happen? I don't think so. Ron would have said something, or at least Hermione would have. Strange. Why am I even getting worked up about this? Hermione is like a sister to me. Besides, there's Ginny to consider. _This mental monologue continued until it induced him a slight headache due to the large amount of questions and the lack of any information to come remotely close to an answer. _Ever since that fiasco with Cho I have been attracted towards Ginny. Or at least I think I have. Could I be falling in love with…? GET A GRIP POTTER! She is your friend. More importantly, she is your best friend's girlfriend. Even if you did like her, she is out of bounds! Besides, what about Ginny? She is pretty and brave and… but then Hermione is also very pretty, and brave, and smart, and… POTTER! She is your best friend's CRUSH! Control yourself!_

Shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of the web of thoughts that had decided to nest in his head, Harry attempted once more his Transfiguration assignment, coming to the ever so wise decision that this was, in fact, easier to understand than his previous thoughts. With a sigh of resignation, he continued reading and taking copious amounts of notes in the hopes that it would help his essay along. The sound of wings caught his attention and a big smile parted his face as he saw Hedwig approaching. As soon as she entered the house, she transformed into her human self.

"Sorry it took me so long to return. I decided to make a stop along the way to hunt that ended up taking most of the evening and early night. After a quick nap, I finally made it here", she said.

"That's fine. I wasn't overly worried. You are a smart owl after all. You will be pleased to know that I am more than halfway done with Transfiguration and have some notes for Charms. I decided to review everything I had in Transfiguration, which ended up taking pretty much all of yesterday, with a couple of breaks in between to tackle Charms", said Harry proudly.

"Good! Show me what you've done", she said.

Neither noticed the man that was standing in the shadows of a nearby tree, his smile glinting in the sunlight.

* * *

_Oh to be young and feel Love's bite once more_. Lord Galdir chuckled silently. Having had a taste of the chaos that controlled the teenager's mind, he was swiftly taken back to his long lost years of youth. _We were really lost back then weren't we. We didn't have a clue of what went on inside a woman's head. Then again, I think I still don't, not that it matters all that much right now, but still._ A shadow of grief passed over his eyes, but he shook it off quickly. He quickly spoke in Ancient Elvish to ensure that the charms he had placed were still strong. Satisfied with the results, he turned around and disappeared.

One of the advantages of Elvish travelling was that not only was it silent, but it required minimal energy and concentration. As they soon found out, it also did not involve the horrendous feeling of being squeezed into a tube where the wind was knocked out from you. No, Elvish travelling was simple, elegant, and effortless. Like all crafts developed by the Elves, their variant of Apparition, called Transition was perfected until it was more an art than a method of transportation. By simply envisioning the place of destination in their minds, the Elves could move virtually anywhere, no matter how warded the location. Of course, this was the same basis as Apparition, but there were some other subtle differences.

After meeting with two Elves that were at his house and dismissing them, Lord Galdir entered his chambers and prepared for the meeting of the High Council. He selected his white robes that had golden embroidery in complex patterns. After a much needed bath, Lord Galdir dressed himself and donned his black travelling cloak. Clasping the golden broach that sat under his collarbone, he proceeded to smooth his hair with a couple of well-chosen Elvish words. He then picked up his silver head band, a gift from his wife from long ago. He sighed as he stared into the infinite silver of the band. _So much has been lost over time. So much was sacrificed._ He smiled sadly as he remembered his wife. _Today will be 300 years since her demise. 300 long years. _Clearing his head of such thoughts, Lord Galdir slid the band on his head and walked outside. After leaving making sure that his house was warded he disappeared and headed for Aerbarad, the place of the meeting of the High Council.

Elves lived in the forests, as they always had. Yet as mankind grew at an accelerated rate and began destroying their homes, the Elves found themselves in the need to ward and charm their dwellings. The most heavily warded were the sacred grounds of the Elves. It was in those places where they prayed and meditated. Where they had council meetings and where rituals where performed. The most ancient of those was Aerbarad. It was here where the High King Mainor had united the six kingdoms of the Elves under one rule. He had been the first Elven King, and his line had managed to ensure the unity and peace of the six families. As the years passed, Mainor decided that it was better if all the families took part in the decisions of their world, and so he created the High Elven Council or the Elven Court. He was placed as the Head and so it was his job to mediate debates, take decisions, and ensure that the Elven Laws were followed. His line had kept the position of Head of the Council, passing from son to daughter. It was in this way that the last remaining heir of the line of Mainor, Lord Canadion had been raised to his current position. He sat in a throne made of the purest marble, etched with intricate designs of gold and silver. Above his head was a collection of diamonds that formed the symbol of his house. He was the only one there when Lord Galdir arrived to Aerbarad.

Being so ancient and sacred a place to the Elves, Aerbarad was decorated with such magnificence that few Elves now believed that it could ever be outmatched. It sat on a clearing of the forest, sitting on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. Council meetings usually took place at night, and so the marble out of which the place was carved had been etched with spells that mirrored only moon and starlight, giving it an off worldly aura. Six chairs carved of marble stood in a circle, with the throne of Mainor being slightly raised to be above the others. Each one was similar in design, though they could not match the majesty of the Throne. Lord Galdir, last heir of the line of Aglaron, bowed at Lord Canadion. "Lord Canadion, Heir of Mainor. The stars bless me with your presence tonight" he enunciated in Ancient Elvish. Lord Mainor was the one of the three Elves in the council that could speak it, and refused to talk in any other language to his dear friend Galdir. "Blessed we are tonight indeed, Lord Galdir, heir of Aglaron. How have you been, old friend?" he asked.

"The days grow dark, my Lord. Much toil has befallen this land; thanks to the ever growing hand of the one they call Voldemort. He has assaulted several times, his targets ranging from humans to magical folk. There is unrest at the current Minister, and the Guardians of the Light falter. It is not clear whether they can withstand the might of this Voldemort", said Galdir.

"I have felt something like this as well, Galdir. This _Lord_ Voldemort as he calls himself threatens all that he lays his eyes on. Yet there is something about him that has troubled my sleep of late", replied Canadion.

"What do you mean?" inquired Galdir.

"How could he have risen from the dead? If the rumours are true, then young Harry James Potter, Heir of the House of Potter destroyed him when he was but an infant. Yet he has risen again, almost 14 years after his alleged destruction. Does it not strike you as odd that he would return?"

"It does. His sudden return to life and power is shrouded with mystery", replied Galdir.

"I have set several Elves of my house to the task of discovering how he returned. Though they have yet to produce an answer, the options that they have uncovered are… disturbing, to say the least."

Lord Galdir's brow creased at Canadion's last statement. He himself had done some research on the matter, and the answers that he had produced were dark. Darker than any magic that he had encountered in his long life.

"It is possible that he used the distortion that is Dark Magic to return. Yet the exact method has eluded me –"

"Lords Galdir and Canadion. I trust that I am not late?" enquired the newly arrived elf.

"Not at all, Lord Anuon, last heir of Arnor. We were just discussing the current state of the world" said Lord Canadion.

Both Canadion and Galdir bowed at Anuon. Moments later, the reminder of the Elven Lords arrived. They were Lord Duvainor, heir of Daeron; Lady Aglareth, heir of Algarebel; and Lady Faelel, heir of Faeleth.

They each bowed and exchanged greetings in Modern Elvish. After taking their seats, Lord Canadion rose from his throne and beckoned their silence.

"Dear Lords and Ladies. We have gathered here in sacred Aerbarad to discuss several matters of importance. I believe that each of you holds one of these topics so, Lady Aglareth, if you would be so kind as to step forward and speak to this Council." He gestured towards the centre of the circle formed by the six chairs. The highly polished marble shone in the full moon that dominated the night sky, giving the impression that there was a light coming from beneath the stone.

"Thank you, Lord Canadion. Lords and Ladies of the Council, I am here before you to discuss the matter of our dwindling race. As you are all aware, there has not been another Elven Child since the last Civil War almost 300 years ago. As time has passed, there have been no more offspring, and as such we all find ourselves in the position of being unable to carry our lines", she said. Her voice was angelical, and resonated in the open chamber of Aerbarad.

"That which you speak of is true, Lady Aglareth. Yet what would you have the Council do? It is true that there have been no births for the past 300 years, but it is also true that there have been no new marriages, and those that remain are either broken or unwilling to create new life. Without marriages, there can be no children, so what is it that you propose we do?" inquired Lord Anuon.

"Word has reached my ears that a young maiden of the House of Daeron has been courted by one of the House of Aglaron", she stated. Eyes swiftly turned towards Lords Duvainor and Galdir. "Is this not true Lords?" she asked.

"I have heard similarly. He approached me the other day seeking council. It seemed that the House of Daeron had denied him entry into their dominion, and so he sought my aid in the matter" said Lord Galdir, his voice perfectly level.

It was no mystery that there was animosity between the Houses of Daeron and Aglaron. It had been so since before the last Civil War. Yet it had never interfered with anyone. It was a mere difference of opinion between the Heads of the two Houses, or so was the general perception of the matter. This was a shock to many, as it signified an escalation in hostilities between them. One that could, given the chance, further divide the growing rift in the world of the Elves.

"Is this true, Lord Duvainor?" asked Lady Faelel. Lord Duvainor eyed them all with cold, calculating eyes.

"It probably was nothing more than a misunderstanding. I assure you all, that my House would never do something as… hostile, as that. I apologize to Lord Galdir as Head of the House of Daeron."

Lord Galdir eyed him carefully as he spoke. Although his mannerisms and speech were convincing, there was something that was amiss. And it was this something that kept Galdir on edge whenever Lord Duvainor was present. Noticing the same, Lord Canadion beckoned Lady Aglareth to her seat, as he rose to the centre stage.

"Let us hope, Lord Duvainor, that it was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Both of you are to encourage this growing relationship. Nurture it. We need a new generation of Elves to take our place. Is this understood?" Both Lords bowed in acceptance. "Very well, if that is all for this matter, I believe that Lady Faelel also has matters that she wishes to address in this Council. Lady Faelel, if you would." He sat down and allowed her to take the centre stage.

* * *

The meeting continued deep into the night. After all but Lords Duvainor and Galdir had spoken their concerns to the Council, Galdir prepared himself for the part that he had been waiting for. _Let us hope that this works out. There is too much at stake if it does not_, he thought. After being beckoned by Lord Canadion, Galdir rose from his seat and walked to the centre. Trying to exude as much confidence and power as he could muster, he closed his eyes as he prepared to address the Council.

"Lords and Ladies of the Council. I have a matter that I believe is of great importance that needs to be addressed. As you are all aware, both worlds of men are in turmoil. Thanks to the darkness that the one called Voldemort is spreading, there is an increase in grief, sorrow, horror, and danger in the world. We all know that he returned to life not two years ago, by means of a ritual that we are still ignorant of. He has quickly recovered the numbers that he once had at his disposal, and is now marshalling troops of even greater size. His threat to this world can no longer be ignored. Not only does he threaten to eradicate the world of men almost in its entirety, but he has also indirectly threatened our world." He took a small pause as he eyed the five Lords and Ladies, all of them watching him intently. "You are all surely aware that a Prophecy was made by a human Seer. Although the exact contents of the Prophecy are unknown to us, I have managed to procure some of its content with the help of the Seers of my House. I now present to you this orb, where their findings have been deposited." With that, he withdrew a small crystal orb from his robes. "With your permission, Lord Canadion, I wish to show its contents to the Council."

Lord Canadion had been listening intently to his friend's eloquent speech. He had an inkling of where he was headed with his dialogue, but had refrained from commenting. After being handed the orb, he gave it back to Galdir and beckoned him to continue. Bowing deeply, Galdir muttered an incantation in Elvish, which caused the centre stage to change colour, as a small spire of solid crystal rose from it. Placing the orb on its peak, he activated it and the air was filled with the sound of seemingly hundreds of Elven voices that spoke at once.

_The one who shall vanquish the Serpent Lord shall rise when the time is nigh;_

_born as the seventh month wanes from those that thrice defied his Dark Image._

_Marked as his equal, the vanquisher shall have a power that the Serpent knows not._

_Yet only one will stand, for neither can live while the other survives._

_Thus it is writ, thus it shall come to pass._

The voices slowly faded, leaving the Council in silence. Taking the now silent orb and replacing it in his robes, Galdir shrunk the spire down and resumed his position in the centre.

"Has the veracity of this Prophecy been confirmed by Seers of other Houses, Lord Galdir?" inquired Lord Canadion.

"I can attest on behalf of the Houses of Algarebel and Arnor that this Prophecy has been confirmed", replied Lady Aglareth.

"Do we know the identity of the one whom the Prophecy refers to?" asked Lord Anuon.

"I believe I do, Lord Anuon", replied Lord Galdir. "It is my belief that the one of whom this Prophecy speaks is none other than Harry James Potter, heir of the House of Potter."

"And with what do you support such outlandish claims, Lord Galdir? Surely you must have some reason to believe that the vanquisher of this Dark Lord is a mere boy!" Lord Duvainor could not hide his contempt at Galdir and sneered as he spoke.

"Lord Duvainor, as long as I am Head of this Council, you will not disrespect its members do you understand?" Lord Canadion spoke in a low tone, yet his eyes flickered dangerously.

"I meant no disrespect, Lord Canadion. I was merely questioning Lord Galdir's last statement." Although his sneer had been replaced by a face of repentance, his eyes still oozed malevolence.

"The evidence I have is already known to this Council. We all know of the exploits of young Potter. He defeated Voldemort when he was 15 months of age, only to face him again when he was 14. Surely this is evidence enough to satisfy you, Lord Duvainor" he said coolly.

"Regardless, what is your point here, Lord Galdir? Surely you did not go through all this trouble just to inform us of this." Lord Duvainor's voice was even, but his face betrayed only the slightest feeling of hatred towards Lord Galdir.

"Indeed I did not, Lord Duvainor. Lords and Ladies of the Council, in spite of the evidence that this Prophecy conveys, we cannot deny any longer the threat that Voldemort represents. If this boy is indeed destined to overthrow this Dark Creature, then it is in our best interests to help him. Not only to ensure the survival of our species, but also to protect the world that we form part of."

The silence in the Council was deafening. Lord Canadion sat frozen like a statue. Ladies Faelel and Aglareth drew breath quickly as colour drained from their faces. Only Lords Anuon and Galdir remained impervious to the silence that now dominated the meeting. Lord Duvainor stared at Galdir darkly. His upper lip curled into a feral snarl as he slowly spoke, making a supreme effort to maintain his voice as even as possible.

"Surely, you do not _presume_ to tell us that we should help the humans, do you, _Lord_ Galdir. Need I remind you of the law that was passed by this very Council?"

"I do not presume anything, nor do I need to be reminded Lord Duvainor, for I was there when it was passed. I have merely stated the facts as they are, and have exposed my opinion to the Council on this matter."

"Oh! You have exposed your view on this alright. You would have us mingle with the humans once more, wouldn't you?! This is not an opinion; this is nothing more than another attempt from you to persuade this Council of your views. I see through your lies, Galdir-Human Lover!" he snarled. Galdir's face slowly grew hot at the insult that was thrown at him.

"Unlike you, _Lord_ Duvainor, I do not use lies and misdirection to manipulate those around me. I believe that—"

"What did you just say?! YOU DARE CALL ME A LIAR?!" Lord Duvainor roared as he stood from his seat and approached Galdir dangerously. Such was the rage that he released, that the other Lords cowered slightly at the sight. All of them, that is, except Lord Galdir.

"I did not _call _you anything. But surely you have heard the rumours that surround your house? They speak of dealings that are far from laudable", his voice trembled in anger, yet he did not yield against Duvainor's rage.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME OF LAUDABLE ACTIONS GALDIR?!" he roared. "My house has held the highest standards of honour in the Elven community, unlike your own. These ideas you speak of are naught but blasphemy. Join the humans! They destroy our sacred places! They have destroyed our homes in greed and avarice. Yet you would have us mingle with them. Though I must say that such a ludicrous idea from you is not unexpected. You would have us mix with a race that is as unclean as you are, isn't that right, Galdir Demon Touched?" At the mention of his condition, Lord Galdir snarled dangerously and threw Duvainor back to his seat with magic.

"I _will_ not be spoken like that Duvainor." His voice quivered with rage and power. His eyes seemed like torches of righteous anger as they contracted into cat-like slits. "Choose your next words carefully, for they may be your last." Lord Duvainor rose quickly and drew his sword.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN _ME?_! I am Lord Duvainor of the House of Daeron, and I will not be spoken to like this by _you_. You are nothing but an embarrassment to our race. Your love of humans has brought shame to your house and I will not—"

Whatever it was that Duvainor was about to say was never heard. A wave of magic threw him back into his seat and wrenched his sword from his grasp. Lord Galdir threw curse after curse to Duvainor, who quickly recovered and countered them. Lord Anuon tried to restrain Galdir, but was thrown back by another wave that surged from the enraged elf. Lady Faelel attempted the same with Duvainor, but failed miserably and was thrown to the side. Lady Aglareth tried to shield the others so they would not be caught in the crossfire. The sky darkened immediately, and claps of thunder could be heard in the distance. A lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck Duvainor's shield.

Having seen and heard more than enough, Lord Canadion snapped from the frozen trance that he was in and rose quickly. With three words in Ancient Elvish, he bound Galdir and Duvainor in place. "_ENOUGH!"_ His roar was heard miles around, and it caused all those who were not bound to freeze in fear and awe at the power that he displayed.

"I am Lord Canadion, Heir of the House of Mainor and Head of the Council. By that authority, I command you both, Lord Galdir and Lord Duvainor to STOP!" Lord Galdir simply stood there, while Lord Duvainor began muttering counters to the spell that Canadion had placed on him. "I told you to _stop_ Lord Duvainor, or are you incapable of hearing?" Duvainor eyed him darkly at this last remark, but stopped trying to free himself.

"In all the years as Head of this Council I have not seen an attitude like the one that you have displayed today. Lord Duvainor, the shame that you spoke of does not fall on the house of Aglaron. It falls on yours. You will apologize to Lord Galdir for the remarks that you have made." He eyed Duvainor dangerously.

"I will not apologize to this—" "YOU WILL DO AS I SAY DUVAINOR OR I WILL PERSONALLY BANISH YOU FROM THE COUNCIL!" roared Canadion. Few Elves had seen him as enraged as he was now, and it was not a pleasant sight. Duvainor blanched at the face of utter rage that was Canadion. He slowly recovered enough sense to back down.

"My apologies, Lord Galdir." He said curtly.

"Now, Lord Galdir, apologize to Lord Duvainor." His voice was more even, but not any less dangerous.

"I also apologize, Lord Duvainor."

"Seeing as this topic has generated such… _heated_ discussions, I will adjourn this Council so we all have a change to _cool_ down" he eyed both Galdir and Duvainor as he was saying this, "and we shall reconvene again in a week's time to further discuss this. May the stars watch over all of you" With that he cancelled the spell, and beckoning both Anuon and Galdir to follow him, they disappeared. Lady Faelel and Aglareth followed suit, leaving Lord Duvainor muttering darkly in his seat.


	4. Revelations

**III. Revelations**

The three Elven Lords eyed each other restlessly. Having retreated from Aerbarad to the House of Mainor, Lords Canadion, Anuon, and Galdir continued the discussion that had been started in the Council Meeting. Canadion sat on one of the couches in his meeting room, a glass filled with sparkling water in his hand. Lord Anuon paced restlessly in front, while Galdir stood next to a nearby window, watching the fading stars as dawn broke the mantle of night.

"Why did you react like that Galdir? You know the rules of the Council and you know that what you did was unacceptable!" Lord Anuon was worried. The fight that had broken out earlier did not bode well for the rest of the Elven World. If the animosities between Galdir and Duvainor were to escalate, it could very well unleash a second Civil War.

"Why did I react like that? In case it escaped your notice _Anuon_, he insulted me and my house. You know better than most that I will not allow that kind of speech, Council Meeting or not", snapped Galdir.

"Regardless, you should not have pushed him back, Galdir. That was poor judgment –"

"POOR JUDGEMENT?!" roared Galdir. "I exhibited poor judgment? If I exhibited poor judgment then what about _you_?! You just stood there and allowed Duvainor to insult me and speak ill of my House. You were anointed Head of the Council, apprentice. You should start acting like one."

Both Canadion and Anuon froze. It had been years since Galdir had referred to them like that. Realizing what he had done, Galdir quickly apologized.

"I am sorry, Canadion. I should not have snapped at you like that." Canadion stared at the ground, like a child after having been severely scolded.

"It is fine, Galdir. It has been quite some time since you spoke to me like that." Galdir stared into his old pupil's eyes.

"True, but it does not entitle me to refer to you with your old title. You are the Head of the House of Mainor now. There are lines that should not be crossed." He slowly returned to his gazing of the stars.

"Our Master's point is still valid, Canadion. Why did you not stop them? It is your responsibility as Head to prevent such things from happening", continued Anuon.

"I… I… was scared" replied Canadion, his voice trembling.

"Scared of what?" asked Anuon. Galdir turned to face him, staring intently.

"I had never seen Galdir and Duvainor so angry before. They are the two oldest Elves alive, and as such they are very powerful. When Duvainor made the first attack, I was going to stop him, but Galdir got to him first. You know how intimidating Galdir's aura is when he lets it go. I just froze in fear. It was only until the lightning bolt that I reacted, but by that point it was too late." Canadion's head was bowed in shame.

"Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, my apprentice for it is not a sign of weakness. Failure to recognize it and affront your fear is, but you did not fail. You stood up to two angry Elves that are more powerful than you. You even managed to subdue one, even as he tried to release himself from your grip; and for that I am proud of you." Galdir gave him a small smile as he said this. "However, you do need to work on your timing." Anuon chuckled, and Canadion's head rose, a smile etched on his face.

"What did he mean by that Master?" asked Anuon.

"Elaborate Anuon. What did who mean by what?" asked Galdir.

"Duvainor. What did he mean when he called you unclean and Demon Touched?" he asked.

Galdir bristled visibly at the question. Although the matter that Duvainor had brought up was kept as a mostly internal matter within the House of Aglaron and had caused countless frictions between Galdir and his Advisors, it had been clear since the start that his 'condition', for the lack of a better word, should be kept quiet. How Duvainor had come across that information had surprised Galdir and thrown him off balance. It was not a subject that he was comfortable talking about with anyone, and he very much wanted to keep it that way. At least for the time being.

"It was nothing apprentice. Merely a taunt from Duvainor", said Galdir curtly.

"But it didn't seem like—"

"I _said_ Anuon: it _was nothing_", snapped Galdir.

Canadion and Anuon eyed each other, clearly afraid of pressing the issue with their master. Electing to drop it, Anuon shook his head.

"Returning to the matter at hand, why did you propose this? You knew that Duvainor would challenge you did you not?" inquired Anuon. He had recovered from the shock of Galdir's scolding, and was now curious as to his intentions. Galdir relaxed visibly when he changed the subject.

"You are right, Anuon. I had a feeling that Duvainor would challenge my proposal. I just was not expecting him to get quite so… violent." He sighed heavily.

"Then why did you bring it up? Besides, you know of the Law. If you knew of this, then –"

"Do not lecture me, apprentice. You may now be Lord of Arnor, but you have not lived long enough to earn that right. I did what I did because it was necessary. Do not forget, young one, I was there when the law was written." Galdir gave him a mild glare. He then returned to his gazing out the window.

"If you were there, then why did you not vote against it? Surely you were already of age Master." Anuon had always been one to quickly realize his mistakes, and so his voice was thick with repentance and his head was held low. Yet his curiosity always got the best of him in the end.

"Because the Law of Non-Interference that forbids Elves from interfering in the affairs of men was passed when I was but an apprentice. It was made after the deaths of Griffyndor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. As such, any thoughts I had on the matter carried no weight."

"Why did your Head of House agree to it then? Surely as the last heir you would have been able to at least give your input on the matter, even if it was ignored in the end" asked Canadion.

"At the time it was a good idea. The humans were growing too quickly and we needed to ensure that the Elves were protected. But now, the rules have changed. Humans have been meddling with far too deep in Dark Magic and are now threatening the world that he had sworn to protect long ago. That is why I brought this up in the Council, regardless of this Law. You know of the mandate that was passed by the High King, and you know that this supersedes all other laws. Should the world be in peril, then it is the duty of the Elves to protect it."

"We know of the mandate Galdir. The problem is whether or not this case truly applies. Besides, how could you have been in the Council as an apprentice? As a general rule, apprentices are not allowed to enter the Council Meetings, unless he or she is next in the line of Mainor, and you are the Head of Aglaron. Why were you there?" asked Anuon.

Canadion's face dropped and Galdir turned slowly from the window. Anuon turned to see Canadion, who hung his head in apparent shame.

"He was there because he is also the Head of Mainor", he said slowly.

"_What?!_ How is that possible? You are the Head of Aglaron! Even with the allowance of cross-marriages, how could you be Heir of Mainor as well? How are you related to the House of Mainor?" Galdir sighed heavily, and Anuon stared in shock as his old friend and Master aged visibly in front of him. Although he was an elf, and as such he was immortal, Anuon could clearly see the weight of 1,000 years of life fall upon Galdir's shoulders.

"My father was the brother of the Head of Mainor at the time. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that I was never told of, he never had children. As a result, the title passed on to the nearest of kin, meaning that I now had the title of Lord Mainor and Lord Aglaron. The second title comes from my mother's side of the family", replied Galdir.

"So then why did you end up as Lord Aglaron? I mean, surely the title of Mainor is of more weight and as such should have been you first choice", asked Anuon.

"Because I did not wish the political power that came with that title. Understand, Anuon: my life was very difficult, and many Elves already opposed my position as Heir of Aglaron. To have taken upon the mantle of Lord Mainor would have created more difficulties than I was willing to deal with. As a result, I invoked the Laws of Inheritance and passed on the title of Lord Mainor to my cousin on my mother's side. That is how Canadion came to be Lord Mainor", explained Galdir.

"So you are the true Lord Mainor?" asked Anuon incredulously.

"Yes, he is. Interestingly enough, he also holds an allegiance with the House of Algarebel thanks to his marriage, which means that, indirectly of course, Galdir effectively controls half of the Houses", said Canadion.

"So if you control three of the six Elven Houses, what of the others?" asked Anuon.

"That is where the situation gets unpleasant", said Galdir.

"Unpleasant is an understatement, Galdir", replied Canadion. "The House of Daeron is, as you might expect, controlled by Duvainor. To my knowledge, he is also in control of the House of Faeleth. By some happy chance, he never realized this, and so Lady Faelel was able to take the mantle. Your House, Anuon, is the only one that is independent of rule. At least as far as inheritance goes."

"Indeed. It has some benefits that my House has produced only males", said Anuon with a smirk.

"Quite. Unfortunately, that does not exempt you from external influence. As it turns out, the crimes of which I accused Duvainor are worse than I had originally anticipated. It seems that he has been slowly worming his way into your House, attempting to secure the allegiance of several members from your circle of Advisors. His methods are... most inelegant, and so it was easy to trace the path back to him", said Galdir.

"You mean to tell me, that _Duvainor_ is taking over _my_ House?" asked Anuon angrily.

"If the rumours are true, then yes Anuon. He is doing exactly that. The important thing here is not the takeover of your House, what –"

"Not important?! How can it not be important pray tell?" snapped Anuon.

"I realize that this is upsetting, Anuon, but you must realize that in the great scheme of things, it has little significance. The fact that the majority of the House of Faeleth and some of your House answer to Duvainor will not give him any advantage politically speaking. Where it will matter, and this is truly the thing of importance, is the fact that _if_ the Elven world goes to war, he will effectively have control over half the population. The other half is controlled by us three, in addition to Lady Aglareth." Galdir's face was calm as he spoke.

"So politically it won't help right?" asked Anuon, his voice calmer.

"No, it won't. The structure of the Council does not allow for this kind of influence to matter. Even if a Lord's House consists of only one member, his vote will have the same weight as one from a larger House. What Galdir says is true. As it stands, the Elven world is divided roughly in half. This just adds importance to the battle that broke out today, and further increases the weight of Galdir's decision of attempting to persuade the Council to interfere with the human world", stated Canadion.

"So, to the extent that I understand the situation: the Elven world is split in half, with us three and Lady Aglareth on one side and Duvainor on the other; all of which is sitting on a keg of powder that is ready to blow at any second due to the animosity between Duvainor and Galdir?" asked Anuon incredulously.

"In so many words, yes", stated Galdir, "however, all of this will be for naught if Voldemort decides to attack us after the human world falls. This is why I took the risk of exposing my point to the Council today."

"I see that introductions have been made." All three Lords turned at the sound of the door opening. Lady Aglareth entered, her robes flowing softly in her wake. "I trust I am not too late Lord Canadion?" she asked.

"Not at all, Lady Aglareth. Galdir and I have just finished the task of providing Anuon with the most relevant information." Canadion rose and bowed, followed swiftly by Galdir and Anuon.

"Aglareth. I was not aware that you would be joining us today. How have you been?" asked Galdir.

"Worried about you and the Elven World, Galdir. But I have been fine otherwise. You?"

"I have seen better days. But overall I cannot complain. Thank you for your concern", Galdir bowed gratefully.

"You have nothing to thank Galdir. Though my sister is dead, you are still family to me. As it stands, you are the only family I have left after her death." A shadow of grief crossed both her and Galdir's eyes.

"Yes, well, you know I am here for you, Aglareth", replied Galdir, blushing slightly.

"Not to be rude, but why are you here, Lady Aglareth? And what do you mean by relevant information?" asked Anuon.

"Please Anuon; we can drop the formalities while we are alone here. As Galdir and Canadion have informed you, the three of us control half of the Elven world. As Duvainor has gotten more…" she hesitated looking for the appropriate word.

"Insidious? Evil? Scheming?" offered Canadion.

"Hold it. You mean to tell me that you three have been scheming together for however long and none of you thought to include me?!" asked Anuon indignantly.

"There was no need to include you initially Anuon. Understand that although there have been alliances before, and hence what we are doing is not against the law, the activities that we are involved in do require a high level of secrecy. There are many things that we discuss that should not leave this chamber until the time is right", answered Canadion.

"Things such as?" asked Anuon.

"Well, for example, the fact that a Prophecy similar to our own was made by a human seer has been known to us for quite some time. It was Galdir how found the original Elven Prophecy and as such has been kept guarded until now. The fact that we asked you for your help was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we needed a third party to certify its veracity, but on the other we risked the chance of Duvainor finding out about it, hence why I asked you to do it with the utmost secrecy", answered Aglareth.

"More importantly, we needed you to be independent of this group. As the only independent House, you were more useful as you were than if you had been included. We needed the neutral party in the Council. However, since I discovered that Duvainor is in fact attempting a takeover, we decided to finally give you the place that is rightfully yours", explained Galdir.

Anuon remained quiet for a moment. Galdir's argument did make sense. Had he known of the allegiance before, it would have been harder to maintain his neutrality, which was something that his family had fought very hard to maintain. While he did not like others taking decisions for him, he definitely understood the reasons why they were made. If what Galdir was saying was true, then remaining in the neutral zone would only affect his House and the rest of the Elven World. As much as he did not want to admit it, they had done the right thing by not including him until now.

"I understand your reasons. Though I may not like it, and appreciate the respect towards my House's neutrality, I do agree that things were better served the way they were. Returning to the topic at hand, I believe you were discussing some of Duvainor's better qualities?" he said with a smirk. The rest of the Lords relaxed visibly at his jibe.

"Indeed we were. As Galdir has mentioned, the topics that we discuss are generally not revealed until the opportune moment. Until today that is", continued Aglareth.

"As I have said already, it had to be done", replied Galdir.

"Regardless of whether or not I agree with you, Galdir, it was still pointless. You have no credible evidence that Voldemort plans to attack us. As it stands, he is just another Dark Lord. I do not deny that he is powerful, but he does not, as of yet, impose a real threat over the entire world." Canadion's voice was even, having returned to his position as Head.

"I agree with Galdir, but Canadion does have a valid point. There is, however, another alternative that is worth considering", offered Anuon.

"Which is?" asked Galdir.

"It is true that the Law clearly states that the Elves will not meddle in the affairs of man unless there is a credible threat. However, should that threat extend to our allies, say the Goblins or the Veela, then we could activate the treaties that overrule that Law and intervene", said Anuon.

"While that is true, the fact remains that we cannot lay idle until that happens. If the previous war was any indication, by the time that Voldemort was prepared to attack those creatures it would have been difficult to get rid of him. Moreover, you are ignoring one important detail Anuon: the only one that can defeat Voldemort is young Potter. As it stands, I very much doubt that he is in any condition to take him on", replied Canadion.

"This may change in the future, but it is far too early to tell. The point that I made earlier that we need to help him is still valid", continued Galdir.

"I will not bother asking how it is you know this, Galdir. But you are essentially correct. Young Lord Potter requires our help", said Aglareth.

"What about the loophole in the Law of Intervention?" asked Anuon.

"Which one?" asked Aglareth.

"Well, the Law refers to the Elves as a whole; however, it says nothing about the intervention of a single elf." Galdir, Canadion, and Aglareth stared at Anuon intently.

"Explain Anuon. What is it that you are proposing?" asked Aglareth.

"If Lord Galdir proposes to the Council that one elf be sent to acquire evidence, and if this elf was, say, Lord Galdir himself, then he would be above reproach, for the most part, and would be able to aid Lord Potter." A smile was etched on Anuon's face as he spoke.

"That could be done. There is the matter of infiltrating Hogwarts, and that could be a problem. There is also the major issue of keeping the secret of our world from the humans, which could hamper the mission", said Canadion.

"I do not think that keeping our secret safe will be a problem. Getting into Hogwarts may prove somewhat trickier. My contacts in the Wizarding World have informed me that Headmaster Dumbledore has currently filled all teaching positions", stated Aglareth.

"I thought that he was still one short?" asked Galdir.

"He apparently will return tonight with the professor's reply. He seemed quite confident that he would get an affirmative response", replied Aglareth.

"Is it anyone we know?" asked Canadion.

"Wait. You all have contacts in the Wizarding world? I thought that was forbidden!" exclaimed Anuon.

"The Law of Non-Interference says that we may not meddle in human affairs. It does not say that we cannot have links to their world to keep ourselves informed. It's the other loophole in the Law. Besides, if we were completely cut off from their world, how would we be able to assess whether someone is a threat or not? Where do you think we obtained the information to back up Galdir's statement for helping the war effort when Grindelwald rose to power? It was the same thing when Voldemort first rose, however both times Duvainor had more convincing statements than the ones that we had produced." Anuon nodded in remembrance as Canadion spoke.

"I had wondered how you got that information. Not that it mattered, but I did wonder that", said Anuon.

"Anyways. Answering your question, Canadion, I believe the prospect's name is Horace Slughorn", continued Aglareth.

"Never heard of him", said Galdir and Canadion.

"Well, if you cannot get in as a teacher, then what other way is there?" asked Anuon.

"There is a way, it is just significantly more difficult", replied Canadion.

"I was hoping to avoid that option, Canadion", said Galdir.

"Well, there aren't that many options, Galdir, You need to have access to Potter, and as long as he is in Hogwarts, that limits the options available to us", she said. "Now will you stop pacing? You know that there is no other way."

"I am aware of that, Aglareth, I am merely trying to figure out a way not to do it", said Galdir.

"What are you talking about? What option?" asked Anuon, thoroughly confused.

"He has to infiltrate Hogwarts as a student", replied Canadion with a mischievous smile.

Anuon roared with laughter at the mental image of Galdir as a young student.

"You?! Lord Galdir, Heir of Mainor and Aglaron, oldest elf alive, as a 16 year old student?!" he continued laughing hysterically, and tears began to roll from his eyes.

"Very amusing, Anuon. Regrettably for me, it is the only way. I shall begin investigating a way to do this. I am going to require access to the Archives Canadion." Galdir glared slightly at Anuon, who was barely controlling another fit of laughter that threatened to burst out. The idea of his beloved Master as a 16 year old was too much for a poor elf. Canadion smirked as he fought his urge to laugh as well.

"You can erase that silly smirk from your face, Canadion. This is not a laughing matter" admonished Aglareth.

"Easy for you to say, he wasn't your Master", said Anuon between bouts of laughter.

That single phrase destroyed all control that Canadion had over the matter and he burst out laughing, much to the aggravation of Galdir.

"If you two clowns are done, we have business to discuss here." Aglareth glared at them, as her lips compressed into a thin line that would make McGonagall jealous.

Realizing the seriousness of her tone and being intimidated by her glare, Canadion and Anuon composed themselves.

"Yes, of course. I will grant you access to the Archives, Galdir. Let us hope that you find something in there that can help", replied Canadion diplomatically.

"Indeed. However, before I venture into anything else, I need to know if I will have the Council's approval. It would make a pointless search if the Council were to deny this proposal" said Galdir.

"Well, I think I can speak for all of us here, we will support the motion once it is presented. Be sure to do so at the start, before Duvainor gets even more upset at the situation", counselled Aglareth.

"I was planning to. What do we know of the allegiance of Lady Faelel?" asked Galdir.

"As I understand it, she has managed to remain outside of Duvainor's influence, has she not?" asked Canadion.

"I am afraid that is no longer true. She is now under Duvainor's thumb, along with the rest of her House. I assume that Duvainor must have manipulated her using the fact that he should have been the rightful Heir. Regardless of this, her opinion is irrelevant. Duvainor will oppose the motion and she will follow, but the rest of us will support you, Galdir, and we have majority", answered Aglareth.

"And you know this how?" asked Canadion.

"Well, that was the reason I was late to our meeting. After you three left Aerbarad, I left with Lady Faelel to try to gain insight into her allegiances. She is madly in love with Duvainor, although I have begun to question if it is love and not devotion. She will side with him regardless of what Duvainor says. I even believe that she would take her own life, should Duvainor ask for it." The rest of the Elves froze at the comment.

"_How_ can this be?" asked Canadion, his face contorted into anger, pity, and disgust.

"I think Canadion, that you underestimate just how charming and convincing Duvainor can be when he chooses to. Add that to the leverage that he has over Faelel, it would make sense that he would be able to subdue her. As for her apparent devotion, I feel there is something wrong there, but I do not know what." Galdir's face creased in thought as he spoke.

"Leverage? What…. oh! His inheritance of Faeleth!" exclaimed Anuon.

"Quite. Not only that, but since Duvainor is about the same age as Galdir, that makes him take precedence in inheritance matters. The fact that Faelel is Lady of Faeleth is either a fluke or a planned move", answered Aglareth.

"I, for one, do not think it was planned. Insidious as he may be, this would be too much for Duvainor. What purpose would it serve to anyways? The Elves know that he is older than Faelel, and as such they _know_ that he is the true Heir. What difference does it make that he controls Faelel?" asked Canadion.

"First of all, there is a huge political advantage there, since he has a vote secured no matter what the proposal. On the other hand, if he controls Lady Faelel, he can use her as a distraction while he fully ascertains his dominion over her House. Again, the matters of inheritance are closely guarded, so even though he is older, the fact that Faelel is Lady of Faeleth means that he is not recognized as the rightful Heir. Which means that he has to convince the rest of the House of his leadership", answered Galdir.

"Indeed. Moreover, if it is known that Lady Faelel sides with him, it provides the perfect cover for the takeover of her House, since no one will suspect that there is something amiss" continued Aglareth.

"So it is likely that he is controlling Faelel?" asked Canadion.

"We believe so, Canadion. However, this new turn of events is disturbing. Her apparent devotion to Duvainor is not normal, and it would imply that there is foul play involved in this", answered Galdir.

"I made a quick scan for outside influence, however my magic is not as powerful as yours, Galdir", said Aglareth.

"It is not so much an issue of power as it is of skill, Aglareth. Duvainor is very skilled at what he does, and that just makes his handiwork more difficult to recognize", offered Galdir.

"What about Dark Magic?" asked Anuon.

"Unlikely. There has not been an account of use of Dark Magic by an elf in all of our history. It can still be considered, but I do not believe that is the case", answered Galdir

"Well, as disturbing as this is, it does not affect our plans at all, correct?" asked Canadion.

"No, it does not. Even with her allegiance to Duvainor, we still hold majority in the Council", answered Aglareth.

"Very well. If that is all there is to discuss, then I am afraid I must leave. The day has started and I have business to attend to", said Galdir, as he looked out the window. The black of night had yielded to the orange tones as the sun rose.

"Just one more matter to discuss, Galdir" said Canadion. "Since we have known informed Anuon of all the details that he needs to know, I believe that it is time for him to be formally inducted into our little Council."

"I will take whatever oath I must. As much as it pains me to see our world divided, I believe that our ideals are the same and will aid our world in the long run", stated Anuon evenly.

"If you are sure of this, then kneel", stated Galdir as he moved in front of him, flanked by Aglareth and Canadion.

"Lord Anuon, Heir of the Noble House of Arnor. Do you pledge your allegiance to the Noble Houses of Aglaron, Algarebel, and Mainor?" they asked in unison.

"I do so pledge", answered Anuon.

"Do you swear loyalty to the Heirs of the aforementioned Noble Houses?"

"I do so swear"

"Do you pledge to rid this world of evil, in whatever form it may take?"

"I do so pledge"

"Do you swear to protect the world of the Elves, Humans, and all Creatures as per the mandate given to us by the High King?"

"I do so swear"

"Then rise, Lord Anuon, and join your brothers and sisters!" they exclaimed.

Lord Anuon rose, as Canadion and Galdir chanted rapidly in Ancient Elvish, binding the oaths that he just took. A blue light circled Anuon, its speed matching the tempo of their chanting. It then proceeded to envelop Aglareth, Canadion, and finally, Galdir. Their chanting suddenly stopped as the light grew. With a blinding flash, it disappeared, and Galdir, Canadion, and Aglareth embraced Anuon. "Welcome, brother", they said in unison.

After they broke their embrace, Galdir adjusted his cloak and turned towards the door.

"I shall be leaving now. There is somewhere I have to be." He gave a quick glance at the now risen sun.

"You know, Galdir. If I did not know you better, I would say that you were helping Harry Potter even before yesterday's meeting", said Canadion.

"Now why would you say that?" replied Galdir, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He then turned and headed to resume his position outside of Number 4 Privet drive, leaving the faint chuckling of the three Elven Lords.


	5. Many Meetings

**IV. Many Meetings**

It is always nice to wake up in the morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the decadent smell of a delicious breakfast. Of course, this is assuming that you are to partake in this delicious morning feast. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, this meal was not meant for him; or any meals for that matter. It would seem that life had returned to some semblance of normality in Number 4 Privet Drive. Vernon did not mutter as much and his abnormally calm demeanour had vanished in favour of his usual grumpy self. Petunia's screeches could be heard again, along with Vernon's bellows at his nephew. The only one that seems unaffected, that being because he had not changed at all, was Dudley. He continued to bully and stuff his face whenever he had the chance, accompanied with the occasional temper tantrum. Harry smiled sadly. _Yes, things are back to normal_.

Harry decided that he had been staring at the ceiling long enough and got out of bed. He smiled at Hedwig who was just waking herself. With a small pop, she changed into her human form.

"Good morning Harry", she said sleepily.

"Morning Hedwig", he replied.

"Ready to face another day?" she asked.

"Not really, but I am a Gryffindor after all. Courage and all that", he said with a chuckle.

* * *

Lord Galdir thanked the powers that be as he settled in his usual spot in front of Number 4. _Thankfully, Elves don't have to sleep as much as humans do, otherwise I would be drained by now_, he thought. In fact, Elves did not have to sleep. They chose to, since they dreamed as much as humans did, and they often wanted to escape reality, even if it was for a few hours. But their bodies did not have the need to sleep. In order to rest, the Elves had perfected meditation, which allowed them to recover their strength while maintaining the awareness of the world around them. Conjuring a small pillow, Lord Galdir sat down and drifted into a deep meditative state, his mind focused in all things around him, especially on a certain 15 year old boy that had just decided the get out of bed.

* * *

Harry's day progressed in a similar fashion as the three previous days: he showered, quickly had breakfast avoiding his relatives as much as possible, and then spent the rest of the day locked in his room doing assignments and studying with Hedwig. He quickly discovered that not only did she have all of his memories, but it also seemed that she was blessed with an intellect similar to Hermione's. Add the temper that she already had, and it is not too difficult to understand how Harry had managed to fit a review of most spells and theory from past years in addition to finishing most of his assignments. He was pleased with the results though. Already he was beginning to derive new variants of some spells, and was making new applications for the ones that he did not know.

Thanks to Hedwig's encouragement, he had been able to review the battle of the Ministry, as well as other instances in which he had to defend himself with magic and had arrived to the conclusion that although he did depend on luck to some degree, it was mostly his skill and determination that had seen things to a successful end. He also acknowledged and finally understood that the deaths of all those that had fallen were not his fault. He had done all that he could do with the limited information that he had at his disposal, and all things considered, he had not done bad at all.

The day slowly waned into the night, and Harry sat contemplating the blood red sky in front of him. Having finished all his assignments, with the exception of Potions, Harry sat there just content to admire the show that Mother Nature displayed every day. _So beautiful_, he thought. _It is a shame that we don't take time to notice these things anymore._ Deciding that he had been inside long enough, Harry grabbed a jacket, his holly wand, told Hedwig where he was going, and left the house to go for a nice walk as he continued to admire the spectacle of colour as the sun slowly hid behind the horizon.

His meanderings lead him far away from Privet Drive, and before he realized it, he had arrived to a small playground. By now the only light came from the street lamps and the moon and the stars. Deciding to stop here for a while, Harry walked in and sat on one of the swings, his gaze upwards as he admired the stars and constellations. He did not notice an old man with a long silver beard and half-moon spectacles approach silently; and neither noticed the shadow of Lord Galdir as he sank into a nearby bush.

"It is a rather spectacular night, is not?" spoke Albus Dumbledore.

Harry startled by the old man's words, snapped from his staring and drew his wand, levelling it at Dumbledore.

"P-Professor! You scared me!" Harry stuttered as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Yes, I am sorry about that. Sometimes I forget how absorbing the night sky can be to some people, myself included. How are you, Harry?" inquired Dumbledore, his eyes sparkling kindly.

"I am fine, Professor. I've been really productive lately. Finished most of my assignments, and have read a lot. Frankly, I am reminding myself of Hermione. How about you?" answered Harry. Albus smiled at the young man's comment.

"Yes indeed. But keeping the mind busy is something we all must do. Alas, I sometimes find myself with too much to do, and sometimes find myself wishing for a bit of mind-numbing boredom. But on this excellent night, I must say that I am quite well Harry, all things considered." He waved his left hand as he replied. Instead of the healthy flesh that Harry had last seen, there was a blackened, dead, _thing_ attached to the Headmaster. Sitting on his finger was a ring, with a black jewel that sported a thin crack down the middle.

"Professor what–"

"What is it? Oh it is my hand Harry. Disgusting is it not? There is quite the tale behind it, but I am afraid it will have to wait for another time. For now, I would be honoured if you would join me on a small trip", and with that he offered his arm, his good one mind you, to Harry.

"Professor, before we leave, I was wondering if we could discuss something for a second. I'm afraid it's important and I don't think it can wait", said Harry.

Dumbledore nodded and sat on the swing next to Harry. Galdir's interest peaked, and he quickly focused his attention on the pair of wizards. Harry sighed, wondering where to begin.

"I usually find that the beginning is usually a good place as any to start Harry", said Dumbledore with a small smile.

"I think first I want to apologize for destroying your office professor. I really did not mean to—"

"Harry. It is I who should be apologizing more for the events of that night. They are just things Harry, trinkets of little value that can be repaired. What you lost, and what I have made you suffer however, cannot be repaired as easily", said Dumbledore, his eyes shining with sadness.

"I understand why you did what you did, professor. I guess that if I had had a more normal childhood then perhaps I would have reacted differently to the news. But the reality is that, and don't get me wrong I really do appreciate your concern, my relatives ensured that I never had a childhood. The things that I have seen have stripped me of many things. Things that until recently I had not fully acknowledged that I had lost. Nor had I had a chance to mourn them", he said softly.

Galdir felt his heart break at Harry's words. _We are alike in so many ways, and yet he is by far the luckiest of the two_, he thought as a single tear streaked his cheek. Dumbledore's eyes were also brimming with tears at the words of the young man that he had become so attached to.

"I guess what I'm trying to say Headmaster is that I forgive you for the mistakes that you have made. I know that you only wanted the best for me", he said.

That was all that it took for the composure of Albus Dumbledore to collapse. He rose from the swing and hugged Harry as tears streamed from his face.

"You truly are a great man, Harry Potter. Greater than I will ever be", he said.

Harry hugged the headmaster, as he felt his own tears start to fall from his emerald eyes. Galdir turned around as he erected a privacy ward. Having lived in shadow for so long had left him numb to many things, and yet that young human had managed to make Galdir feel things that he had not felt since the death of his wife. For the first time in many years, he felt hope and purpose begin to blossom in his heart.

"Thank you Harry. Words cannot express the gratitude of an old man at hearing your words of kindness and forgiveness", said Dumbledore once he had recovered some of his composure.

"I just have one request, professor", said Harry.

"Anything my boy", said Albus.

"No more covering things and pushing them aside. No more riddles", he said.

"Of course Harry. I am ashamed to admit that I lost my way. I failed to see you as the young man you are, and not what I hoped you to be. And I now realize the foolishness of such act, for you are so much more than I had ever dreamed you could be. I am honoured to call you my friend, Harry", said Albus.

"As do I, professor. As do I", said Harry.

"I guess that we can drop the formalities Harry. As long as we are alone, you may call me Albus", he said.

Harry's eyes widened in awe and appreciation.

"Thank you pr—… Albus", he stuttered.

Chuckling softly, Albus rose from his position and offered his arm to Harry, who smiled as he got up.

"May I ask were we are going?", inquired Harry.

"Why don't I just show you instead? Have you Side-Apparated before?" Harry shook his head. "Very well, grab my arm and hold on tight. I will do the rest." With that, Harry laid his hand on Dumbledore's outstretched arm and with a soft pop, they vanished.

Galdir rose from his hiding spot and approached the place that Albus and Harry had just occupied. After making sure that his emotions were under his control, he examined the air and smirked.

_So very messy, this Apparition business. Ridiculously easy to follow_, he thought. He then began waving his hands in a complex pattern as he muttered in Ancient Elvish. As it happened, while normal wizards had no way of following someone who Apparated without previous knowledge of the destination, this was not true for the Elves. Having developed Apparition as well as Transition, it was merely a matter of casting the appropriate charms to reveal the destination. Suddenly, a chord of blue light appeared in front of Galdir. Smiling, he grasped it and followed it, Transitioning into the night.

* * *

Harry landed hard on the ground as they arrived at their destination. He felt queasy, and his head spun violently, as his stomach threatened to expel its contents through his mouth. Steadying himself, Harry joined Dumbledore, who patiently waited for Harry to recover.

"I must say I am impressed, Harry. Most people throw up the first time around. I am guessing you are not particularly fond of this method of transportation?" asked Dumbledore with a smile.

"I cannot say I don't like it, Albus, but it is most definitely not a pleasant way to travel", answered Harry. _How can somebody enjoy the feeling of being shoved into a small tube and then being pulled through it?_ thought Harry. Dumbledore smiled at his response and started walking. Neither of them noticed a figure that appeared silently behind them, for it had rapidly become invisible, courtesy of a couple of words in Ancient Elvish.

"Welcome to the lovely village of Budleigh Babberton", stated Dumbledore.

Harry followed Dumbledore as they walked on the silent streets, barely keeping up with the brisk pace that the old man was walking at.

"You are probably wondering why I brought you here today Harry", stated Dumbledore.

"Frankly, after all these years I just go with it." Dumbledore chuckled at Harry's reply.

"I have brought you here to meet and recruit an old colleague of mine. His name is Professor Horace Slughorn. As you may have undoubtedly noticed, we are one person short in the Hogwarts' staff." Dumbledore slowed down as they approached a darkened house.

"Wand out Harry", said Dumbledore as he drew his from a concealed location in his robes. Harry clutched his want tightly as they approached the entrance.

Behind them, Galdir simply stood ready to barge in should there be an attack.

The state of the house they entered was not unlike that of a house that had just been visited by a tornado. The furniture lay in pieces all around them, mixed with rubble that belonged to the walls that were filled with holes. Dumbledore muttered "_Lumos_", and the tip of his wand produced a faint light. Mimicking him, Harry also illuminated his wand, as the pair attempted to trudge through the destruction that was in front of them. Entering what would have been the sitting room; Dumbledore motioned Harry to stop, and pointed towards a thick, crimson substance that was dripping from the remains of the ceiling. Raising his blackened hand, Dumbledore scooped a drop of the substance with his fingers and then licked it. Harry was about to ask him what the substance was when he noticed something odd. In the midst of all this destruction, one would assume that no large objects would have been spared. Then again, one would be wrong in this particular case. Sitting in front of them, was a single plush chair that looked perfectly comfy and _whole_. Harry pointed at it with his wand, drawing Dumbledore's attention towards it. Walking carefully, Dumbledore poked the chair, which did the most un-chair like thing that Harry had ever seen: it complained!

The 'chair' then proceeded to unfold itself, revealing a man. Or at least what would be the result of attaching a man to the single largest belly you can possibly conceive. He was not particularly tall, or at least didn't appear to be. Then again, a belly of that size can mask many things. He wore traditional robes, with a waistcoat that threatened to declare war against whoever happened to be in front and release its deadly ammunition of buttons. His face was covered by a walrus-like silver moustache. So all in all, standing before Harry and Dumbledore was the fattest walrus-like man you can imagine.

"Blimey Dumbledore, that is not the way to treat an old man!" exclaimed the walrus-man.

"Well I must say you make for a convincing chair Horace", replied Dumbledore with a smile.

"What gave me away?" asked Slughorn.

"Well, I imagine that not many people would remain unsuspicious of a chair sitting on the remains of a house. The dragon blood was also a clever idea Horace", complimented Dumbledore.

"Yes, well, I haven't had time to change the upholstery. I just got here a mere three days ago. Being on the run is not as nice as one would imagine, especially for us elderly folk", said Slughorn.

"Yes quite true. How did you come by this place?" inquired Dumbledore.

"The muggle family that owns it is on vacation. It was a simple matter of casting a freezing charm on those contraptions they use for security and then redecorate the place. The problem was smuggling the piano without being seen", remarked Horace.

"Well, we would not want to leave this house looking like this for their owners now would we? Do you mind if I do the honours Horace?" Slughorn waved his hand at Dumbledore, giving him the go-ahead. Waving his wand, the shattered objects and walls of the house repaired themselves. After the spell was done, they stood in a lovely living room, next to a large, black piano. Harry noticed a number of photographs sitting on a nearby shelf. Of course, it wasn't the existence of the photographs that intrigued him. It was the fact that they _moved_.

"Horace, would you mind sharing with us why you went to such lengths to conceal yourself?" asked Dumbledore.

"Death Eaters, Albus! They have been trying to recruit me for the past month, and one can only say no to these people so many times. This is why I have been keeping on the move. The point of the house was to make it seem as if the Death Eaters had already been here", replied Slughorn.

"But wouldn't there be a Dark Mark floating above it then, sir?" asked Harry.

"He is right Horace. But where are my manners? Please allow me to introduce you to Harry Potter", Dumbledore motioned Harry forward as he spoke.

If you can imagine, or have been fortunate enough to see what a walrus looks like when its jaw drops down and his eyes open as wide as they can go, then you would have a very close image to what Horace Slughorn looked like as he gaped at the boy in front of him.

"Is he really? Harry Potter, my boy! How are you?" he asked jovially.

"I'm fine, sir" Harry stared at the excited old man with a face of utter confusion. _Well, this is a first_, he thought. Galdir, listening to all that was happening inside, had to cast a silencing charm around him so no one would hear the roars of laughter coming from the invisible elf.

"Good, goo..." the old man suddenly began staring at Harry's eyes. A shadow of grief seemed to cross his eyes for the briefest second.

"Sir? Are you alright?" asked Harry.

"Your eyes, they are–" "My mother's, yes", completed Harry.

"Horace, would you mind if I used the loo?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, yes, of course. But don't think I can't see what you are doing here, Dumbledore. The answer is still no!" he said. Harry turned to resume observing the photographs of the many witches and wizards that sat on the shelf.

"All mine. Ex-students I mean", commented Slughorn. "That is Gwenog Jones, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies; gives me free tickets whenever I want them", he mentioned as he pointed at the photograph of a witch riding her broom. "That is Barnabas Cuffe, editor at the Daily Prophet. Always asks my opinion on the day's news. And here is–"

"My mother", said Harry.

"Yes, dear Lily Evans. One of my brightest students", said Slughorn slowly. "Extremely talented for a muggleborn." Harry looked at him in annoyance.

"My best friend is a muggleborn and she is the brightest witch of her age."

"Oh, I didn't mean it as an insult, dear boy. I am not like those bigots obsessed with blood purity, merely an observation...". Slughorn had not stopped staring at Harry the entire time.

"And who is this, sir?" asked Harry, pointing towards a young man.

"That is Regulus Black, brother to the notorious Sirius Black, who was killed recently I believe. Shame, I would have liked the have the whole Black set", muttered Slughorn.

Harry was starting to get annoyed at the professor. He looked at him like he was a jewel, a prize that had to be obtained no matter the consequences. Thankfully, Dumbledore returned, holding a magazine in his hand. "Horace, would you mind if I took one of these", he waved the magazine. "I do like the knitting patterns." Horace nodded at Dumbledore.

"Well, Harry. I think it is time for us to leave", he said as he turned towards the door.

"Are you leaving so soon?" asked Slughorn.

"I think I know a lost cause when I see one, Horace. Pity, I would have considered it a personal triumph if you returned to Hogwarts. You are like Harry in that way, Horace, _unique._" Following Dumbledore Harry gave a quick nod at the dumbstruck professor and walked outside.

Dumbledore walked slowly, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen. Harry was about to ask him before Slughorn waddled as fast as he could to the door and called them.

"Fine! I'll do it. But I want Professor Merryweather's old office. And I also want a raise! These are mad times, you know!" he exclaimed.

Dumbledore nodded at him and waved, returning to his brisk pace.

"Albus, what just happened?" asked Harry.

"I am sorry for not telling you everything Harry. Professor Horace Slughorn is a man that values one thing above all others: power. He does not want the throne however. He is quite content to sit in the background, where there is more space to grow, if you catch my drift." Harry chuckled at this. "Although Horace by himself has little influence, it is the people that he knows and surrounds himself with that make him formidable. He is drawn to those who have fame and power, and as such, as you have probably noticed, he is drawn to you", explained Dumbledore.

"Yes, I did notice that", answered Harry.

"Being what you are Harry, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived, you would be the crown jewel of Horace's collection."

"So you needed him to see me so he agreed to return to Hogwarts?" asked Harry.

"Indeed. It was imperative that he returned this year. As you also probably noticed Harry, Horace will try to collect you."

"And I am guessing that I should allow this?" asked Harry.

"Indeed. You are to allow this, Harry. It is of utmost importance that you gain his trust."

"Alright Albus. Can I ask why it is so important?" asked Harry.

"That is a conversation that is better had behind locked doors Harry. Ask me that again when you return to Hogwarts and I will answer your question", he answered. Harry nodded appreciatively.

"Now, I am aware that you may not be so fond of Apparating Harry, but it is the fastest way to travel, so if you would hold on to my arm again, we shall be on our way."

Harry braced himself for the tube feeling as the grabbed Dumbledore's arm as was quickly whisked away.

Galdir eyed the place where they had vanished, and quickly repeated the incantation to follow them. As soon as he had the strand of light in his hands, he froze it, and began pacing in front of it, deep in thought. _What are you playing at here, Dumbledore? Yes, Horace is an excellent Potions Master, but that is not the reason you are bringing him back. And why are you encouraging him with Harry? What is it that you are looking for in Slughorn? __It cannot be his talents, for you already have Snape, who is probably better than Slughorn ever was. His connections are not an option, you have more influence than he with all his contacts will ever have. Then what is your angle? Unless you are looking for something that he wishes to conceal. A trinket perhaps? _ Though he could very easily have gotten the answer from Dumbledore's thoughts, Galdir strongly objected to reading a person's mind without their permission. He skimmed the surface thoughts, but he never went any further. Being a Master Occlumens, Dumbledore made sure that his thoughts never ran close enough to the surface so Galdir could read them without breaking his rule. Shaking his head at the lack of answers, Galdir rose from the bench and unfroze the strand that he had made. He then followed it, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort paced restlessly in his private chambers in Riddle Manor. Things were progressing according to plan: his Death Eaters were terrorizing Britain, the Ministry was close to total collapse and he had forged allegiances with most of the Dark Creatures. His army had never been larger, yet the Dark Lord was uneasy. The body that he had crafted using Dark Magic two years ago was weak. His magic was extraordinary, of that there was no doubt, and he was strong physically, but his powers had not increased since his return. Usually, a wizard's power increase as they age. The limiting factor is that the body weakens, and as such cannot control that much power. However, Voldemort had not grown in power. He remained as he once was when he was alive. This worried him greatly. To add to his worries, his body seemed to be degrading somehow. He had gone through every incantation known to wizard kind and he had not been able to find something that will make his powers grow, or his body to stop deteriorating. He had reviewed the potion that brought him back to life, and it never mentioned these effects. Then again, it had never been tried with someone whose soul was as mangled as Voldemort's, nor was it tried with someone who had actually died. The potion was meant to restore a body from damage, not to craft a new one.

Voldemort's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of alarms, as the wards surrounding the Riddle House fell. His red eyes glowed in anger. A Death Eater ran in and fell to his knees. "What is it, Avery?" snapped Voldemort. "My Lord, someone is attempting to penetrate –" He never had the chance to finish his report, as he felt millions of white hot knives pierced his body. His screams filled the room and Voldemort's faced changed into one of pure pleasure. "Do you think, Avery that I have not noticed? Do really believe me stupid enough to not recognize the alarms that tell us when a ward has fallen? Do you believe me stupid, Avery?" asked Voldemort in malice. Through the pain of the curse, Avery managed to whimper "No", before passing out from the pain. Voldemort banished the slumped body and returned to the window, as he eyed a hooded figure destroying his wards.

The man moved his hands quickly, muttering incantation after incantation. His voice carried a heavy European accent that made his spells difficult to understand, yet no one could deny one thing: it also carried immense power. In the span of five minutes, the work of decades was destroyed. Death Eaters rushed to meet the one who dared trespass their Lord's property. Waving his hands and chanting quickly, the man threw all the Death Eaters back, casually batting away any stray spells with his bare hands. He strolled to the main door of Riddle Manor like someone on a holiday. As he opened the door, he was met with five different bolts of green light. Waving his hands to conjure a magical barrier, the man waited for the spells to impact it. There was a loud noise as the spells collided with the magical shield and vanished. Dispelling the shield, the man conjured ropes that shot from his hands like snakes. After each Death Eater was bound, he then knocked them unconscious with another spell. Walking casually, he repeated the procedure with each Death Eater that dared cross his path.

Clutching his wand with his thin, bone-white fingers, Voldemort stood behind his most loyal Death Eaters in the dining room. He heard as each one of his followers was subdued in a matter of minutes. He knew that they were outmatched. A trickle of fear began crawling its way up the Dark Lord's spine. Reassuring himself of his immortality, he squared himself towards the double door of the dining room, waiting for whoever it was to enter.

He didn't have to wait long, for moments later the doors were blown off their hinges, knocking out two Death Eaters in the process. Twelve different curses, including killing ones, sprung from the wands of the Death Eaters. The man simply waved his hand and conjured his shield, watching with pleasure as the Death Eaters froze at his deflection of the killing curse. He blasted through the twelve remaining followers, rendering them bound and unconscious in seconds. He then faced Lord Voldemort himself.

"Who are you and how dare you enter my house?!" hissed Voldemort.

"My name is not important, though I guess that you would like to call me something. In that case, call me Bedrager", the man bowed mockingly at Voldemort.

"What do you want?" asked Voldemort, his wand lowering ever so slightly.

"What do I want? No, Lord Voldemort. It is not what I want that is important. It is what _you_ want. You want to stop your body from crumbling. You want your magic to continue growing. You want true immortality", stated Bedrager. His eyes glinted begin the hood of his cloak, and his mouth contorted into a cruel smile.

Voldemort blanched at the words. The man had just divulged each of his darkest secrets like they were every-day news. His face changed into a mask of pure rage. "I don't know how you found out about these things, but I _will not_ allow you to divulge them. _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

The killing curse is fuelled by hatred. In order to be used successfully, you need to truly hate the person enough to see them dead. Voldemort's hate towards this man could have very easily eradicated entire cities with a single spell. A massive bolt of green light leaped from his wand, causing his arm to fly backwards as it recoiled from the force of the spell. Bedrager smiled as the light sped towards him. He uttered three words and a shining shield appeared in front of him. As soon as the light struck, a sound, not unlike that of a bell was heard, with enough power to smash all glass and wood objects that were nearby. There was a silence after the sound died, which was broken by a high, cold, cruel laugh.

Voldemort cringed at the laughter from Bedrager.

"Do you really think you can kill me, Voldemort?" he whispered dangerously. "I have power that you cannot even imagine. I have seen things that would make your body curl in fear, and I have faced true demons and defeated them. And you believe that such a petty spell as _Avada Kedavra_ will kill me?" He walked forward slowly, basking in the pure horror that filled Voldemort. "But I am a kind, and will ignore your rude gesture. Now", he waved his hand and repaired two chairs that had been reduced to splinters. "Won't you join me for a cup of tea?" He then proceeded to conjure a teapot and two cups. Voldemort simply stood there, far too scared to move. "Now, Voldemort where are your manners? One must never ignore the common courtesies. I said _sit_." A force greater than any other that Voldemort had ever felt entered his body. He tried to fight against it, but it was as useless as trying to prevent an avalanche by pushing at the moving mass of dirt. He sat down, thoroughly exhausted and unable to resist the force of his aggressor. "Now, is that not better?" cooed Bedrager. He then proceeded to serve Voldemort a cup of tea. Knowing better than to refuse, Voldemort grabbed the cup when it was given to him, but did not drink from it. "Now that we are seated, we can have a discussion like civilized people. As you are undoubtedly aware, your body is weak. Oh, I am not doubting your physical strength, as I am sure it is quite, _formidable_", the last worth was said with mirth. "It is your magic that I am worried about, Voldemort. You have not grown and... is there something wrong with the tea? You know Voldemort, it is very poor manners to not drink what is offered to you, so _drink_." The force overcame Voldemort and he sipped at the tea.

It was good. In fact, it was probably the best tea that he had ever tasted.

"Much better. Now, like I was saying, your body has not grown magically, and that makes you weak. Also, it is degrading, and that just makes you even weaker. Powerless, like a new-born kitten to those who have grown in power and strength." His eyes glittered maniacally as he spoke. "I also know of your, _means_ of remaining immortal", this last phrase was said with great disgust. Voldemort stiffened at the comment, and horror overtook him. "Now, now Voldemort, do not be afraid", cooed Bedrager as he slowly stroked the Dark Lord's bald head, not unlike a mother stroking her child to calm him down. "Why do you cringe in fear? Do you not trust me? Even after I have spared your life, fed you my tea, and offered to help you. Tut, tut. What to do about this?" he stroked his chin in fake contemplation. "Ah! I know! A gift! A trinket of my honesty", he grinned evilly. He then proceeded to speak very quickly in Latin. Voldemort felt his body stiffen, and then he felt it. Pain. Pain beyond anything that he had ever felt. Pain far more powerful than a thousand Cruciatus cast with absolute hatred. He should have passed out, he hoped to pass out, but he did not. He was left to endure this agony for what seemed hours.

As sudden as it had come, the pain vanished. What was left behind was something that Lord Voldemort had not felt since he had started his studies in the Dark Arts: power. Complete and absolute power. He felt stronger than he had ever felt in his life. Bedrager smiled, and allowed Voldemort to stand to test his strength. Grabbing his wand, Voldemort bellowed "_REDUCTO!"_ Instead of the usual small hole that he would have made in the wall, there was a large crater, larger than he was tall. Waving his wand again, he repaired it.

"See, Voldemort. I mean you no harm. I only wish to help you achieve your goals", said Bedrager softly. "Speaking of goals, I do have some matters that I wish to discuss –" He was interrupted by a Blasting Hex that was thrown at him. His tea set exploded, followed by the chairs that he had repaired. He landed on his back, as Voldemort laughed.

"FOOL! You should not have given me so much power. Now, you will rue the day that you decided to attack _me_!" He began a spell, but could never finish it. Recovering quickly, Bedrager froze Voldemort.

Fighting off the freezing effects, Voldemort dodged a spell that was casually hurled at him. As he raised his wand for a second attack, his arms suddenly snapped to his sides, and his entire body rose. He tried to free himself, but he was locked in a vice grip that would not yield. This was followed by that same laughter that made his skin crawl with fear. Bedrager stood before him, his hand raised at him.

"You think that _I_ am a fool, Voldemort? Why would I give you enough power to outmatch me? Do not take me for a stupid man. Do that and you will find that your life expectancy will be reduced greatly, regardless of how many backups you have. Do not forget, it was _I_ who gave you that power and strength, and _I_ can take it away!" He smiled as Voldemort began to writhe in pain, his howls almost drowning his laughter. "Now, look at what you have done. You destroyed my tea! _CRUCIO!"_

If Voldemort thought that the pain that had granted him and removed his newfound power was bad, he had quickly found out what was worse. The man's Cruciatus produced more pain than he even believed he could feel. Again, he felt his mind blacking out, but he felt a pull that prevented him from falling into blissful unconsciousness. The spell ceased, and Voldemort was left on the ground, panting. He tried to move, but his body would not respond.

"You can't even stand up, Voldemort. You call yourself the most powerful sorcerer in the world, yet you cannot endure a simple Cruciatus Curse. Let this be a reminder of what happens when you are ungrateful to me. Now" he flicked his hand and Voldemort's body rose. Another flick conjured a chair with straps. As soon as Bedrager lifted his body into the chair, Voldemort was restrained so he could not move anything but his head. "We are going to try this again. I will help you recover your power and prevent your pathetic excuse for a body. I will even help you get more troops for your little army of weaklings. All that I ask in return is your trust", his voice was filled with hate as he spoke. Voldemort felt his eyelids close as his body decided to give out. There was a loud smack as Bedrager slapped him. "You will black out when _I_ tell you to!" he snapped. Voldemort's cheeks flushed in shame, but were quickly drained by the ever growing horror that filled him. "Since apparently you are incapable of even following the simplest of instructions, I will explain it as simply as I can", said Bedrager.

"I will give you powers and troops. You will give me your trust. Do you understand?" Voldemort nodded weakly.

"Good. Now, I realize that today has been a long day for you, so I shall leave you to rest. Do not fret over your precious Death Eaters. They shall awaken once I leave, and you wards shall be reconstructed. The bonds that hold you will also break once I leave. We _will_ see each other again. Very soon", and with that, he turned on his heel, and left, leaving Voldemort more bewildered than he had ever been in his entire life. He fell from the chair that held him, only to have his senses assaulted as the same unbearable pain cursed through his body, restoring the powers that had been taken. This time, he was allowed to black out, and the most feared Dark Lord crumpled in a heap, exhausted from the pain he had endured.


	6. The Court Reconvenes

**V. The Court Reconvenes**

Harry landed heavily in what appeared to be a marsh of some sort. Trying to steady himself and keep his legs from giving way from under him, Harry stumbled aimlessly, trying to gain his bearings. He noticed a source of light that was ahead of him. Being wet and dizzy from Apparating twice in the same day, he slowly walked towards it, unaware of Galdir's appearance and swift disappearance behind him. Muttering a few words in Ancient Elvish, Galdir eliminated the dizziness that Harry felt, removing all after effects of Apparating. He then proceeded to hide behind a nearby tree, where we could continue to monitor and guide Harry if necessary.

It took Harry a while to realize that he was actually approaching the Burrow. Elated at his discovery, he ran, barely paying attention to the suddenly gone dizziness. He knocked on the door, and suddenly he found himself being crushed by the vice grip of a red-headed woman, who was screaming in happiness.

"HARRY!" yelled Mrs Weasley. She hugged him fiercely, nearly snapping the poor boy in half. "How are you dear? Why didn't you tell us you were coming? Are you alright? Why are you still so skinny? Oh, look at how much you've grown...!" Harry just stared at the Weasley matriarch as he tried to track all the questions that were being thrown at him. He could tell she was very glad to see him, as her thought process was in complete shambles. Trying to remember as many questions as he could, he proceeded to answer: "I'm good Mrs Weasley. I didn't know I was coming over, Dumbledore just —" "Oh that man! Come in Harry, come in! Are you hungry? Would you like something?" continued Mrs Weasley. Harry allowed himself to be carried inside, but kindly refused the offer of food. His stomach had recovered quickly from Apparating, but he did not want to tempt Fate by giving it potentially deadly ammunition that could be expelled without any warning. Next in line to greet him was Mr Weasley. Shaking his hand and giving him a quick hug, he left to continue 'clearing' his muggle things. Of course this was not true, but for the sake of maintaining the peace with Molly Weasley, some white lies were acceptable. Harry was then encountered with a wall of two identical red-heads standing in front of him.

"Lookie here Forge!" said one.

"I see, Gred. We have found ourselves..."

"An ickle Harrykins!" exclaimed the twins together.

Harry burst out laughing at the nickname. "Well, I must say that is a lot better than all that rubbish that the Prophet's been calling me" he said between bouts of laughter.

"Well, of course it is!" replied George indignantly

"Remember, you are talking to us!" continued Fred

"Of course we can do better than those old farts!"

Harry continued laughing at their comebacks.

"How is the store coming?" asked Harry.

"Oh we already have a fine establishment", said Fred

"Yeah, and we already have enough products to give Zonko's a run for their galleons!" finished George.

The sudden appearance of the youngest Weasley surprised them. Harry gulped nervously as he faced her, only to find her acting _normal_.

"Hi Harry!" she gave him a quick hug and left to her room, humming softly.

Harry was shocked to say the least. Previous interactions with Ginny had involved short squeaks and swift vanishing acts. The way she now acted towards him was more reminiscent of her attitude towards her siblings than it was of him.

"She's been acting all weird mate. Don't know what has gotten into her", said Fred.

"We believe there may be a boy involved, but we're not sure", added George. Harry shrugged at their comment, trying to control the turmoil of emotions that had just woken up inside of him. He was confused to say the least. He had been under the general assumption that Ginny had some form of crush on him, but her attitude definitely threw that idea out the window. If what Fred and George thought was true, then Ginny had not only gotten over her crush, but had also found a boyfriend. Harry felt oddly fine with all of this. He knew that he should be feeling some form of jealousy or hurt at the situation, but he felt neither of these things.

Harry congratulated the twins and then proceeded down to the final Weasley, who stood smiling next to the twins. Before he could say hello to Ron, he was almost bowled over by a mass of bushy brown hair. Taking a second to realize what was going on; Harry noticed that Hermione clung to his neck fiercely.

"H-Hello Hermione", he said. His face was quickly turning an interesting shade of pink. Outside, Galdir had to cast several Silencing Charms so he could laugh as loudly as he wanted at Harry, Hermione, and the twins.

"H-Hello Harry", said Hermione, mimicking the shade that Harry was getting. She quickly released his neck, and stood somewhat awkwardly next to Ron, who just stared at his two friends curiously.

"Hello mate! Neck still okay?" he asked. Harry smiled weakly at the comment, and Hermione blushed profusely.

"I think so Ron. How are you?" replied Harry.

"Alright. Hermione's been nagging me about my homework though. Hopefully with you around, I can get a break from it all!" he said with a smile. Whatever tension there was between Harry and Hermione was immediately cracked by Ron's comment, and swiftly replaced by a more uncomfortable kind directed at Ron.

"I have _not_ been nagging you, Ron. Besides, if you listened to me, you could have finished already!" said Hermione indignantly.

"In any case, Ron, I am afraid I already finished all my homework, so I won't be able to help you there." Hermione quirked an eyebrow at his comment.

"With the exception of Potions that is. I am not looking forward to that assignment", he finished quickly. Hermione relaxed, and the three friends retreated to their respective rooms.

* * *

Hedwig had not been pleased her arrival to the Burrow, and she had made her displeasure abundantly clear to Harry the next time that they were alone. Though Harry was elated at the fact that he now had someone that could resemble a mother figure, he was reticent to share this with his friends. Some selfish part of him wanted to keep this particular piece of information to himself, hence why he had not asked Dumbledore about it. To Harry, it really did not matter how Hedwig had come to be able to do this, all that it mattered was that she did.

Currently, Harry was talking to Hedwig by a small creek that ran near to the Burrow, safely hidden to prying eyes. Of course, it also helped that Galdir had three different sets of privacy wards, but they were not aware of this fact.

"So have you settled on which classes are you going to take Harry?" asked Hedwig.

"I think so. Like we discussed earlier, I really need to be better prepared, and Divination and Care of Magical Creatures are really not going to do that for me", he replied.

"So are you going to take the same courses as Hermione?"

"Yes. I need to talk to McGonagall about it thought. I really don't want to be stuck one year beneath her, and I feel reasonably confident that if she tutored me, I should be able to pass the tests that they are likely to give me in order to enter the sixth year courses."

"I believe you're right Harry. Ask Hermione when you get your OWL results. I'm sure that she will not refuse to it, but it's always better to ask. What about Ron?"

"What about him?" asked Harry.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he won't react well to the news of you dropping the classes", replied Hedwig.

"I've given this some thought. The way that I see it, if he really wants to, he could also take the exams with me and we could all be together."

"And what if he refuses or throws a tantrum?"

"Then that's his problem. Don't get me wrong, I want Ron to be with us, but if he can't get over his aversion to studying and being prepared then too bad. It's not like I'm going to stop being his friend."

"You know he won't see it that way."

"Yes, but what can I do? I won't lose you or Hermione the way I lost Sirius. I can't." Harry bowed his head at this. Hedwig moved forward and embraced Harry.

"I know Harry. But you won't lose either of us", she said softly.

"Promise?" For the first time, Harry felt like a small child, asking his mother to promise something that he was well aware could never be promised, but asked for his own assurance.

"I promise Harry", she replied. Silently, Galdir joined in to that promise.

"Then that's what I have to do", he said with finality.

* * *

A week had passed since Harry's arrival at the Burrow, and he was more confused than ever. Sitting on his bed in the room that he shared with Ron, Harry allowed his thoughts to run rampant, trying to figure out just what was going on. _I like Ginny do I not? I know I feel something when I am with her, but then there is Hermione... she has been really awkward this past week. Not that I haven't been either. Is it possible that I fancy her as well? But Ron is interested in her! He has been for a while now! But then why doesn't he do anything? He just teases and argues with her. Ginny... what do I feel for her? Is it love or is it more like a sister that I never had? What do I feel for Hermione? Why can't this just be easy? Honestly, trying to figure out school is a lot easier than—_ "HARRY!" His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's screech. Putting his thoughts aside and deciding to worry about it later, he got up and went down to the kitchen, only to find Hermione shaking wildly, staring at three letters that lay in front of an unknown owl.

Harry stared at the scene in front of him. Hermione was a wreck. Her bushy hair was even bushier than normal, and she was trembling in fear. Ron was standing next to her, his face drained of all colour as they stared at the offending letters in front of them. Enclosed in their envelopes, were their OWL results. At first, Harry tried very hard not to laugh at the state that their friends were in. All amusing thoughts were quickly chased away by the sight of his OWLs.

Now, Harry did not tremble like Hermione or become deathly white like Ron. Instead, he contemplated how much nicer it would be to face the Hungarian Horntail again. Resigning to his fate, Harry took his envelope, followed by Hermione who was muttering "I failed everything" like a crazy person. Ron just stood there, seemingly petrified.

Of course, there was one person who had absolutely no reserves in collapsing in gales of laughter at the current situation. Not that anyone could hear him, but Galdir laughed all the same.

Harry ripped his envelope open and read its contents:

_Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations_

_Results for Harry James Potter_

_Note that the following are passing grades: O=outstanding, E=exceeds expectations, A=acceptable._

_The following are failing grades: P=poor, D= dreadful, T=troll._

_Results for Harry James Potter_

_Astronomy: A_

_Care of Magical Creatures: E_

_Charms: E_

_Defence Against the Dark Arts: O_

_Divination: E_

_Herbology: E_

_History of Magic: D_

_Potions: E_

_Transfiguration: E_

_Total number of OWLs: 8_

To say that Harry was floored by the results would be an understatement. He stood there in shock, not really believing his eyes. _8 OWLs! I got 8 OWLs!_ Outside, Galdir was thoroughly impressed by his results, and immediately started to fill in the blanks with the things that he would teach him, provided things worked out the way that he intended them to.

"Oh, I was almost certain that I did not pass History of—"

"Are you mental?! You have 10 OWLs for crying out loud! Your lowest score was an E! Why are you worrying about it?" asked Ron incredulously. Harry just shook his head and interceded before another argument broke out.

"She was nervous, alright Ron? There is no need to chew her head off. How did you do?" he asked.

"I got 7 OWL—"

"Ronald Weasley! You got 7 OWLs?! That is more than the twins got! I'm so proud of you!" Mrs Weasley hugged him, having appeared out of nowhere. Ron's ears turned a delicate shade of pink.

"What classes are you going to be taking this year Harry?" asked Hermione.

"I think I'm going to give Arithmancy and Runes a shot. They definitely seem more interesting than Trelawney's predictions of my death and Care of Magical Creatures. I like Hagrid, but as a professor he is... lacking", said Harry. Ron's mouth dropped at his comment, and Hermione gasped in elation. Of course, she would not admit to herself that she had wanted her friends, especially Harry, to join her classes, but that did not meant that she could not be happy about it.

"Harry that is wonderful! Are you serious about taking Arithmancy and Ancient Runes?" she asked excitedly. Harry blushed mildly at her happiness. Trying to hide his own at Hermione's reaction, he nodded.

"But Harry! You can't leave me alone here! And why would you take the harder courses? Are you mental or something?" asked Ron. Harry turned around and faced him.

"Look Ron. There is a war going on, and even if that is not relevant, I care about my future. Divination is not going to get me anywhere, and neither is Care of Magical Creatures. I am no Seer and I am not like Charlie. I want to be an Auror, or something similar to that. Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are more likely to help me with that than the other courses. Besides, aren't you curious to see what Hermione is always so excited about?" asked Harry.

Hermione was not elated. She had gone to the moon and back in complete bliss. Not only did Harry want to join her classes, but he had also noticed her excitement about them. She caught herself just in time and quickly slapped herself mentally. _I want RON. I fancy Ron, not Harry._ Yet she knew, deep inside, that she was just deluding herself. Although Harry had never directly expressed interest in her likes and dislikes, she knew that he would never belittle or judge her in any form of way. She reasoned that perhaps it was his shyness, probably due to his upbringing, that had kept him from saying anything before. If we also factor his loyalty to Ron's friendship, then it made perfect sense why he had neglected to mention his interest in this before. This was already miles ahead of Ron's attitude towards her. Yes, he had feigned interest before, but it became obvious very quickly that they had nothing in common. The fact remained that their friendship was held mostly thanks to Harry, and that was not the kind of person that she wanted to get involved in a romantic relationship with. She was snapped from her reverie when she noticed that Ron was turning a very dangerous shade of red; hurt showing clearly in his features.

"You want to be with her? Then FINE!" He yelled as he stormed out the room. Harry and Hermione stood there in shock at Ron's reaction. She started to go after him, but Harry held her back.

"Let him be for now. We will talk to him later."

Outside, Galdir listened to Ron's thoughts. Yes, he was hurt, but he was mad at the truth that lay behind Harry's words. He knew Harry was right. He just didn't _like_ it. Assuring himself that he would turn around and join his friends eventually, Galdir rose from his spot. Checking the wards he had placed, the quickly vanished, returning to his home.

* * *

The meeting of the Council took place in Aerbarad, as the previous one. The moon had begun to wane, but the light that was reflected by the centre was still strong. Galdir showed up early, as was his custom. He was followed by Lord Anuon and Canadion. Lady Aglareth also showed up early, hoping to discuss some last minute details with them.

"So do we agree on what we will do?" asked Aglareth.

"Yes. I will restate my position, and Canadion will deny it with the reasons that he gave before. That should appease Duvainor for the time being", said Galdir.

"Then you will change your proposal to just include yourself", said Anuon.

"I will agree and call a vote. Since we have majority, the opinions of Duvainor and Faeleth won't matter", finished Canadion. "I have arranged for you to have access to the Archives, Galdir. You should head there immediately after the meeting is over." Galdir bowed his head.

"Have you been successful in your endeavours, Galdir?" asked Aglareth.

"Somewhat. Things are going roughly as I had intended them. I did not have much of a plan to begin with, but I can say that some things are way better than I had anticipated", replied Galdir.

"Good. We are betting heavily on this move Galdir. Any news from the outside world?" asked Canadion.

"My contacts have reported that there have been no Death Eater attacks for the past week. They have been unusually silent", said Aglareth.

"That is strange. Make sure to keep an eye for them. Voldemort is not one to lay low for long", said Galdir. Canadion nodded in agreement.

"Members of my house have detected a surge in power. We do not know who it belongs to, but it felt evil", said Anuon.

"Yes. I felt it as well" said Galdir.

"Do we have any clues as to who it may be?" asked Aglareth.

"I have a couple of theories, but at this time they are premature", responded Galdir.

"What should we do then?" asked Canadion.

"For now, we need to lay low. Aglareth, try to keep your contacts in the Ministry intact. We need to be able to know if something happens. The same goes for you, Canadion. Anuon, I need you to identify those who are loyal to your House. Do not approach them, simply recognize who they are. We need to make sure we can identify who our allies are", said Galdir.

"Very well. I shall get to it after the meeting", said Anuon.

Lord Duvainor and Lady Faeleth materialized after Anuon finished speaking. Duvainor eyed Canadion and Galdir darkly. Canadion returned the gaze, but Galdir merely ignored it. Faeleth seem to be in a dreamy state, and she did not pay them any attention.

"Since we are all here, shall we begin the meeting?" asked Canadion, gesturing the empty seats. One by one, the six Elven Lords sat down in their chairs. As soon as the last one was seated, Canadion rose and stood in the centre.

"As you are all aware, on our last meeting Lord Galdir proposed something. Before any decision could take place, he was _interrupted_", Canadion eyed Duvainor as he spoke. "Since it has been a week, I shall ask Lord Galdir to restate his proposal. We shall then vote on this matter accordingly. Lord Galdir, if you please", he gestured at Galdir, who rose and took Canadion's place. Canadion sat down on his throne, not breaking eye contact with Duvainor the entire time.

"Lords and Ladies of the Council. After the evidence that I provided last time, we concluded that one Harry James Potter, Heir to the House of Potter, is the one destined to defeat the one called Voldemort. As I stated before, Voldemort is a threat to the Wizarding world, and by extension, our own. He must be stopped before he can grow too powerful and destroys all that we hold dear. I urge the Council to allow the Elves to aid young Harry Potter and destroy this evil once and for all." Galdir was calm as he spoke, delivering his speech with as much confidence as he could muster.

"As the Council is undoubtedly aware, there is a certain Law that forbids us from intervening in the affairs of man", responded Duvainor, smiling wickedly. "As it stands, _Lord_ Galdir, there is no evidence to substantiate your claims that Voldemort is, in fact, a threat. You have no case here, merely your tainted opinions", spat Duvainor.

"Watch your tongue, Duvainor, or I will have to make good on my threat and banish you from the Council", Canadion eyed Duvainor darkly as he spoke. Duvainor merely shrugged him off and recovered his composure.

"I am afraid I must agree with Lord Duvainor. There is no evidence to support the notion that Voldemort is a threat to our world, or the world as a whole for that matter", said Anuon. Duvainor smiled with satisfaction as the other Lords nodded in approval.

"I agree with Lord Anuon. As far as we know, Voldemort's threat does not extend beyond England. Even then, he is only targeting those humans he feels are inferior. That is hardly a threat to the entire world", added Aglareth.

"Very well then, we must vote. Those in favour of Lord Galdir's petition, raise their hand", said Canadion. No one moved. "Those against?" every elf present raised their hands. "The motion is passed unanimously. Is there anything else that you wish to bring forth to this Council, Lord Galdir?" asked Canadion.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I will abide by the decision of the Council on the proposal that I stated. However, after due deliberation, I have come up with an alternative. Since —"  
"This is preposterous! He cannot amend his previous proposal after he has been overruled! How much longer must we listen to this lying, unclean—" Duvainor never got to finish his sentence. Canadion rose from his seat and froze him, preventing any further words from being uttered.

"This is your final warning, Duvainor. Do not test my resolve, for I will banish you from the Council. Continue, Lord Galdir", said Canadion. His voice was dangerously low, and his eyes sparkled with fury. Duvainor blanched a bit at the sight, and wisely held his tongue.

"Like I was saying. I have come up with an alternative proposal. The Council cannot deny that Voldemort is a threat to the Wizarding World. However, as it has been pointed out, I lack the evidence to say that he is a threat to our world. Moreover, if Harry Potter is the Chosen One, then it is in our best interest to ensure that he wins, since the destruction of Voldemort will prevent him from becoming a threat. I volunteer myself for the task of gathering evidence for this Council, as well as investigating the current status of Harry Potter", said Galdir.

Duvainor's jaw dropped and the temperature of the area dropped by several degrees.

"YOU. CANNOT. DO. THIS!" he roared in rage. "The Law very clearly states that—"

"If I may, Lord Duvainor. As it so happens, Lord Galdir is well within the Law in this case. The Law merely states that the Elves may not interfere with human affairs. It does not say that we may not send a single Elf to find out if a Dark Lord is a threat. Moreover, as long as Lord Galdir does not reveal the secret to our world, he can assist Harry Potter in whichever way he sees fit", interjected Anuon. Duvainor stared at him in rage. "Why you—"

"I agree with Lord Anuon's interpretation. When the Elves decided to distance themselves from the world of man, it was never intended that we live completely separate from them. It is completely acceptable to send a single elf into their world", said Aglareth.

Duvainor's eyes flickered dangerously. He restrained himself from further insults after a quick glance to Canadion. The Lord of Mainor eyed him with anger, almost daring him to say something that would warrant an immediate dismissal.

"Very well, it seems that this must also be put to a vote. Those in favour of Lord Galdir's mission please raise their hands", he said as he raised his own hand. Lord Anuon and Lady Aglareth raised theirs as well. "Those against?" he said. Only Duvainor and Faeleth raised their hands.

"By majority decision and the power conferred by the High King Mainor, I give you the blessing of the Council to perform that which you have requested, Lord Galdir, Heir of Aglaron."

Galdir smiled as he bowed. He then took his seat again, trying not to smirk at the face of utter rage that was Duvainor's.

"I believe that there are no more matters to discuss, am I correct?" asked Canadion. After a brief pause, he continued. "Then we are adjourned. May the stars watch over all of you", he bowed and then left, followed by Galdir, Anuon, and Aglareth. Duvainor roared in rage and disappeared, followed by Faeleth.

* * *

Galdir arrived at the Elven Archives. Hidden deep within the forest were the House of Mainor was located, the Archives contained the most complete and extensive record of all magical things. The amount of books and scrolls that it contained easily dwarfed the combination of the library at Hogwarts and the one at the Department of Mysteries. The doors were ornate with intricate Elvish runes, carved out of solid oak. Waving his hand, the doors opened, and Galdir walked inside, arriving at the principal rotunda.

The way that the library was organized was similar to a tree, where the nodes were represented by rotundas and the branches were made out of shelves, containing hundreds of books. The classification system was somewhat complex, since the library had to house the entirety of all known magic. Each rotunda had six branches that lead to other nodes, and so forth. In order to accommodate the large amount of books, the Archives had six levels, each one going deeper into the Earth. The levels were organized by time in which the books were created. The lowermost level corresponded to the First Age, which spanned from the appearance of the first Elves nearly 200,000 years ago to the creation of the six kingdoms, approximately 130,000 years ago.

The second level dealt with the Second Age, and so forth. So in essence, the deeper one went the more ancient the texts became. This carried a small problem: the Elvish Language had been developed over thousands of years. As a result, the older the text, the more difficult it was to understand it. Fortunately, the entirety of the lowest level had been translated to Ancient Elvish.

In order to improve the navigation of the Archives, each level was provided with a main rotunda, which mirrored the one of the topmost level.

Since stairways occupied too much space, the Elves decided on a much more elegant solution. Each rotunda contained a central disk, which had markings in Ancient Elvish. In order to access the lower levels, one need only stand at one and say the level that is desired. The disk would then descend to the required level. The trick with this method was enabling the disk to pass through the others, which was solved simply with a Banishing Charm. As the disk neared the next one, the latter would vanish, allowing the person to pass.

Galdir eyed the six branches that extended from the main rotunda: transfiguration magic, defensive and offensive magic, magical theory, and creatures. The last branch was a combination of magical objects and places. Each one was further subdivided into branches, and they often intersected. This made navigating the Archives a dangerous venture, since it was entirely possible to get lost amidst the ancient tomes. The danger was only increased by the fact that the magic housed in there was so dense that it made any form of transportation very difficult, making a quick exit almost impossible.

Sighing, Galdir decided to walk down the transfiguration branch, looking for a way to make himself look younger. _Wait a minute_, he thought._ Hogwarts was constructed by the Founders with the help of the Elves was it not? Then perhaps there is some record here of the wards that surround it. That would be a good place to start_. Galdir returned to the principal rotunda and walked down the sixth aisle. _Now, let's see. Hogwarts was founded roughly one thousand years ago, so that would make it level one, would it not?_ Deciding to try it, Galdir walked down the Magical Objects and Places ward, looking for the layouts of Hogwarts.

After crossing several nodes, Galdir found several texts that were related to Hogwarts. In order to prevent thefts, the books can only be summoned when one is within a certain distance of them. There are also very strong enchantments in the main rotunda that prevent any texts from leaving the Archives. Galdir summoned the books, and then retreated to the nearest node.

A little known fact was that the nodes were, in essence, the precursors to the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. By simply stating what was needed in Elvish, the node would produce the requirement. Their powers were not limited to producing furniture or other objects. Their other function was to create copies of sections of books for further study. These copies could be taken outside the Archives. Once the user was done with them, he would speak the cancellation charm and the copy would vanish. Galdir asked for a chair and a desk where he could read. In front of him, appeared a beautifully carved desk of cherry wood. It had a separate table for placing books, and a set of glowing orbs that gave a soft light. Carved on it were intricate markings, along with runes to prevent scratching and other forms of normal wear to occur. The chair was designed to be comfortable for extended periods of time, and was made of cherry as well.

Sitting down, Galdir began to read the thick tomes that he had collected.

_Alright, so Hogwarts and its wards were partially Elven made. Moreover, the wards were crafted to remove all enchantments. Then how was Barty Crouch Jr. able to... of course. He was using Polyjuice potion. The wards were not constructed to see through potions, which was considered an inferior form of magic, and the Founders did not bother with them either. I am also fairly certain that potion did not exist back then. Once inside the wards, any charm may be performed_. Galdir rested his chin on his hand as he thought. _Well that is unhelpful. The point is to get past the wards. If I cannot get past them, what is the use of being able to cast a charm inside? Come Galdir, think! What options do we have? Transfiguration is out the window._ He continued to discard all options that dealt with charms. _Hold on, if the wards reveal enchantments, then how come Pettigrew could pass?_ He continued reading the lengthy description of what the charms could and could not do. He quickly finished through the third book, and began to read the final one he had brought. _Well, that was unhelpful. Why would an animagus be able to fool the wards? Oh! Of course! Because an animagus is not a charm per se, it is a state of being. Using magic to alter states is allowed by the wards. Right. Well, there is a viable option_. He returned the books to their places and walked down the aisle of Magical Theory. Picking out three thick volumes detailing the theory behind the animagus, he sat down and opened the first one. He gasped as he saw the runes that were written on its pages. It was not Modern Elvish or Ancient Elvish for that matter. _What is this? This book was written less than 15,000 years ago! Modern Elvish was already in full force by then. Only the purists wrote things in Ancient Elvish, unless..._ He checked the back of the book, were the year was written, along with the details of the place where it was made. Galdir sighed. _This book was written by the older sects in the House of Mainor. They still speak a variant of Protean Elvish. Oh well, let's see just how rusty my Protean is_. Fortunately for Galdir, this was close enough to Ancient Elvish that, with a bit of work, he could translate it.

It took him six days to translate the three books that he had chosen. Since Elves were born from magic, they could use it to sustain themselves over extended periods of time. The downside was the high toll that it took on them. Tired and frustrated, Galdir returned the books he had taken. _So being an animagus fundamentally changes your state of being. But it is far too impractical. While humans transform into common animals, Elves have a tendency to transform into more, exotic, animals. It would be easily noticed, so that is not an option either! Besides, being an animagus does not change my true physical appearance, and I cannot roam Hogwarts constantly casting Invisibility Spells! _Galdir banished the table and walked aimlessly through the halls of the Archives. He descended every so often, until he eventually found himself in the lowest level of the Archives. Walking down the aisle of Magical Objects, Galdir picked up a humungous book that was way taller than he was. The title would roughly translate into _Encyclopaedia of all Things_. Galdir read the synopsis. The book was a record of all magical objects ever created. Since it technically contained the entire knowledge of all six levels, it was kept here for safety.

The book was also heavily laden with magic. Although it was written more than 60,000 years ago, it was imbued with magic that allowed it to remain updated. More pages were created as needed, and so this was the most complete record of all magical objects. Of course, the book did not detail the location of the objects. It merely informed the reader whether the object existed or not.

Intrigued, Galdir decided to ignore his task for a bit and read the book. Asking for a table that could hold it, Galdir found himself staring at a pedestal of stone. Eyeing it curiously, Galdir saw as Elvish runes appeared on its surface. _Lay the book on me, and watch it unfold_, it read. Shrugging, Galdir placed the book on its surface.

There was a surge of air, as the book levitated in front of him. The bindings then disappeared, and the chapters distributed themselves so they formed concentric rings around Galdir. He laughed as he understood the cleverness of the charm. _Of course! Reading such a thing by turning pages would be impractical. This way, one can simply flick, expand, contract, and shift through the information in a much more efficient manner_. He smiled as he flicked through the chapters, one for each year. Choosing a chapter that was 50,000 years old, he expanded it with his hands and began to read the names of individual entries one by one. He casually expanded those entries that seemed interesting. He collapsed them and moved on.

He eventually came across an object of which he had never heard of before. At least he thought he had never heard of it. _The name seems familiar, but I cannot place where or when I have seen it before_. He expanded the entry and began reading the description.

The first couple of paragraphs described its creation, though oddly enough, it did not explain _why_ it was created, merely that it was. The more he read, the more his eyes widened at his discovery. By the time he was done reading, he was as excited as a kid in Christmas morning. _This is it! This is how I am going to get into Hogwarts!_ he thought. He proceeded to make a copy of the entry. He then collapsed the book, banished it to its place and, after finding his way out of the Archives, he ran to meet with Canadion, Anuon, and Aglareth so share his findings.


	7. The Casket of Winter's Past

**VI. The Casket of Winters Past**

After Galdir had left for the Archives, Lords Canadion and Anuon, along with Lady Aglareth, decided to retreat to the House of Aglaron. From here, they continued to survey the Wizarding world while they waited for Galdir to return. After 5 days of waiting, tempers were running high.

"I think we have waited long enough! What if Galdir is lost? Should we not go and find him?" snapped Anuon.

"Galdir has spent more time than anyone else that I know inside the Archives. He knows his way around and has never lost his way. We should wait for him", spoke Aglareth in irritation.

"How can you be so sure? Surely finding a way to solve this problem does not take long! I could very easily think of a couple of books in the first level that–"

"Yes, Canadion, but if Galdir is taking so long it must be for a reason. We should wait." Aglareth glared at Canadion.

"I will give him one more day. If he hasn't returned by then, I am going in there to find him myself", countered Anuon.

Aglareth merely shook her head in annoyance and left the room, leaving the very irritable Elves inside.

* * *

Aglareth walked through the gardens of Aglaron. She had always liked it here. She always felt safe inside the Galdir's House, even more so than her own. A silent tear slid down her cheek as her thoughts turned to her dead sister, and the grief that it had caused her and Galdir.

He had never been the same since her death. Lost was the youthful spark in his eyes, replaced by a haunted look. Of course, in 300 years, he had learned to mask the pain so people would stop asking him what was wrong. He had learned to smile and laugh. But she could see the truth behind his mask. She could see the wound that would probably never heal. That would never stop hurting.

Due to their immortality, marriages amongst Elves were rare. For them, the phrase "'till death do us part" took on a whole new meaning. The vows that were exchanged were forever, and so it made the commitment of marriage something not to be taken lightly. There was also the matter of the bonding that took place upon marriage. Since they were born from magic they had a very deep connection to it. While humans could lose their magic and live as squibs, for an Elf to lose their magic meant death. As such, whenever two Elves decided to marry, a ritual was performed, one that bound their magic together, essentially making them one entity. This only worsened the pain that Galdir felt further. He had not only lost the chance to have a mate for all eternity, but he had also lost a part of himself. It was not uncommon in the Elven World for Elves to commit suicide if they lost their mate. Death was preferable to living a half-life. Yet Galdir had not done so, and this intrigued Aglareth. Of course, she was happy for this, but it struck her as odd that he would not follow her sister.

Though she had not known all the details of Galdir's youth, and she was fairly certain that her sister did not either, she had learned enough to know that Galdir had lead a life of solitude, plagued with horrors that they could never dream of facing. His life had taken a significant upturn when they had met, and her sister had described the transformation from the Galdir she had met to the Galdir that she had fallen in love with and eventually married as miraculous. So it made little sense that if she had died, Galdir had not ended his own life as well. But there was more, or so Aglareth suspected. Although grieving for the death of your spouse could take several decades, it seldom went as long as Galdir had. She suspected there was a more powerful reason for Galdir's grief, but she did not have the heart to ask him about it.

Sighing, she continued her walk. Her feelings towards Galdir had been confusing lately. She had come to terms with her being slightly jealous of her sister when she had decided to marry Galdir, having never been married herself. She had been infatuated with Galdir at some point, but got over it quickly and accepted him as a member of the family. She cared for him like a brother, nothing more. But this all had changed when her sister had died. Having lost her parents a couple of decades prior to her death, Aglareth was suddenly left alone. She had no more family left, and her House did not really count as her family anyways. Galdir had been far too encased in his grief to pay her any attention, and so she was left to wallow in her grief alone.

At some point in the past 300 years, Galdir changed. Something seemed to snap inside of him and it was strong enough to draw him out of his misery. Sure, the pain was still there, but he ignored it as much as he could. He laughed more, and had recovered some semblance of the smile that had infatuated her so many years ago. She knew that he cared for her, and that he was completely and utterly ashamed of not having considered her needs. She also knew that she cared for him as well, she just wasn't sure that it was the same feeling as before. She knew Galdir would never marry again, nor would he consider courting another woman. But she still felt something for him; something that had troubled her for a long time, and had not been able to name. Sighing, she returned to the House to continue the surveillance of the Wizarding World, hoping that Galdir was not lost and would return to them soon.

* * *

It was late evening of the sixth day since Galdir's departure. Anuon gathered his things, followed by Canadion. Aglareth had finally agreed and was ready to leave as well. Just as they were about to walk out the door, they saw Galdir running towards them, with a smile that they had not seen in a long time.

"I solved it! I solved it!" he yelled in delight as he ran towards the three dumbstruck Elves. They had not seen Galdir smile like that in quite some time. It was a smile that was reserved for the moments of sheer genius that he had when attempting to solve a particularly hard problem. Snapping out of their trance, they walked in with Galdir.

"Why are you in my house? I thought you were going back to Mainor?" asked Galdir.

"We thought of that at first, but it turns out that your house is better equipped for surveillance of the Wizarding World, and so we moved here. Your Elves were kind enough to let us in, and we have been camping out in your study ever since", replied Canadion. Galdir nodded.

"So Galdir, why don't you share our findings with us?" asked Aglareth.

"You might want to take a seat. This is going to take a while, and I am going to need your help at the end." Galdir motioned towards the chairs in his study. The three Elven Lords sat down, looking at him expectantly. Galdir mused at the faces of Canadion and Anuon. Those were the same faces of interest and admiration they had always sported when he lectured them throughout their Apprenticeship.

"Well, as you all know, Hogwarts and its wards were built with the help of the Elves. As such, the first thing I had to check for was the properties of the wards: what they could and could not do", explained Galdir. "It turns out that wards negate all concealment charms, as well as any form of transfiguration. Once inside, however, the user can cast whatever he or she likes."

"Well, that is terribly unhelpful", commented Aglareth.

"My thoughts exactly. Looking back on recent events, I noticed two instances in which an outsider got past the wards. They are–"

"Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr.!" said Anuon.

"Indeed. Further examination proved that they had managed to find, unknowingly of course, a gap in the wards. Since Elves do not delve in the art of Potion brewing and the Founders did not believe it worthwhile to construct additional wards, the use of Polyjuice negates the effects of the wards", continued Galdir.

"It would not have made sense to create them. Polyjuice potion is relatively recent. It was created some 500 years ago, if I recall correctly", said Canadion.

"Precisely. And since carrying a flask of Polyjuice would be completely impractical, not to mention absurdly inelegant, I decided to investigate on Pettigrew. He was, as you know, an Animagus. After translating three books from Protean Elvish, I came –"

"Why were those books in Protean? The theory for animagi is not that old. Protean Elvish was discontinued 39,000 years ago was it not?" asked Aglareth.

"True. But there are some factions of the House of Mainor that still believe that Protean is more pure than Ancient Elvish, and so they still use it. I was fortunate enough to find that this particular dialect is very close to Ancient Elvish, and so I was able to translate the majority of the texts without much difficulty. This is why I took so long to return. In any case, the information was useless", said Galdir.

"Why would you go down that road? Animagi are charms are they not? But then…" Canadion's brow creased in thought. Galdir smiled as his former Apprentice tried to solve the problem.

"Because an animagus changes his state. It is a different state of being, correct?" asked Anuon.

"Indeed, Anuon. I see that your mind has not slowed in the slightest. Had it been a charm, Pettigrew would not have been able to enter, as the wards would have negated it. However, as an animagus, he can change his state, and as a result he could bypass the wards. Unfortunately, Elves tend to turn into more… noticeable creatures. So that plan was useless as well", continued Galdir.

"So no charms, transfiguration, or animagi. But we do know that you need to change state in order to bypass the wards. That narrows the options down considerably", commented Aglareth.

"Right. Frustrated as I was, I delved deeper into the Archives. On the sixth level, I found an interesting book. Have you heard of the _Encyclopaedia of All Things_?" asked Galdir.

Aglareth shook her head. She had never been lower than the third level herself, as her studies of magic did not require her to go that far in history. Her speciality was charms, but her Master had decided that only knowledge of the spells and their theory from Ancient Elvish was enough. Canadion and Anuon were a different story entirely. Being apprenticed to Galdir meant that they had learned everything from the dawn of the Elves to the present. They had visited all levels in the Archives, but their purposes were different. Canadion was an elemental, which meant he could control the four elements: air, water, fire, and earth. As such, his focus had been to find spells, no matter how ancient, in these areas. It was actually he who had discovered a way to control the treacherous Fiendfyre, and had also created equivalents for the other elements. History had never been his strong point, so he shook his head as well.

Anuon was a rather curious elf. He was a warrior, and most of his teachings had focused on that. However, he later found that he was a bit of a Seer. Though he could not make prophecies, he could See roughly two minutes into the future. With the guidance of Galdir, they had honed this ability so he could use it in battle. As a result, his studies had to go deeper into magical theory and objects, since Seers always used something to focus their energy and the foundations of Divination were ancient.

He nodded. "Is that not the book that I used to find the Gem of Lüme?" asked Anuon, as he withdrew a beautiful gem that hung from a necklace that he wore. The stone was carved to the point where it shone brighter than any diamond carved by Goblins or humans, and it reflected light in every direction due to its multiple facets. The centre was perfectly flat, resembling a magnifying glass of sorts.

"Very good. It was that book that told you of its existence, but not its location", corrected Galdir.

"The Gem of Lüme? I thought that was lost thousands of years ago", said Aglareth incredulously.

"It was. But thanks to some help from the _Encyclopaedia_ and Galdir, I managed to find it", responded Anuon smugly.

"Pardon my ignorance, but what is the Gem of Lüme?" asked Canadion.

"It is an ancient relic, from the Fourth Age. It was designed to help Seers focus their power, however they quickly found out that their vision was limited when they used the gem. Due to the way that the gem is made, it does not allow a Seer to see anything beyond a couple of hours. However, it was found that it magnified and sharpened visions that were in the range of 5 minutes ahead. It was deemed worthless, and it soon disappeared from all knowledge", explained Anuon.

"Indeed. I had read tales from it in some ancient texts, but was never able to prove that it had existed. As a Final Task, I told Anuon to find it. He proved its existence with the _Encyclopaedia_, and then journeyed far and wide until he found the Gem. I then helped him hone his abilities with it", continued Galdir.

"So that is why you were gone for a long time when we were training! What was it, some 80 years?" asked Canadion.

"Something like that", answered Anuon with a smile.

"We are getting side-tracked. What did you find in this book, Galdir?" asked Aglareth.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Casket of Winters Past?" asked Galdir with a smile.

The room was silent. Galdir removed the entry that he had copied from his robes and presented it to them.

"What is it?" asked Canadion.

"It is a device that was created approximately 50,000 years ago. The book does not record why it was created, only that it was", answered Galdir. Aglareth skimmed through the entry and then gave it to Canadion, who merely looked at it before giving it to Anuon.

"What does it do?" asked Aglareth.

"That is where it gets very interesting. The Casket of Winters Past is a gateway into some Realm of Magic. Where exactly this Realm is and what it is for is not known. What we do know, however, is that in there is an exact copy of every magical and non-magical signature of every living being. Fundamentally, that means that there is a copy of every living being in there. They are not alive, they are simply there, whatever that means", answered Galdir.

"The Casket is used to perform a type of time travel called stationary travel." Anuon looked up at this. "Stationary? So that means that your body is sent back?" he asked.

"Not quite. What the Casket does is replace you with what you were at the time requested while preserving memories, knowledge, and magical power. So in essence it will return my body to the equivalent of 16 while preserving everything that I am", answered Galdir.

Anuon broke out in laughter. His image of Galdir as a 16 year old was actually going to come true. Canadion joined in as well, once he understood what Galdir was suggesting. Aglareth rolled her eyes, and Galdir simply stood there, waiting for them to finish.

"Is it permanent?" asked Aglareth.

"No. There is a counter, but it does require the Casket itself and someone to perform it with me. As soon as I am thrown back into my 16 year old body, a copy of my current one will be stored within the Casket. I need someone who remembers what I looked like to help me restore my physical self. I do not want to spend over 1,000 years to return to my old self", replied Galdir.

Slowly, the roars of laughter died down, as Anuon and Canadion composed themselves.

"So… you… are… going… to… infiltrate… Hogwarts… as a student?!" asked Anuon between fits of laughter.

"Yes, Anuon. I will join the ranks of students at Hogwarts. There are some obvious complications that we need to address, so if you two buffoons are _done_", he glared at them as he spoke. "We will continue." Shocked back into their senses by Galdir's statement and glare, Canadion and Anuon straightened themselves.

"Right. Well the first obvious challenge will be to enrol you. Does Hogwarts allow students to transfer?" asked Canadion.

"I think they do. I would have to check with my contact in the Board of Hogwarts. But I am confident it can be arranged", replied Aglareth.

"The second problem is your knowledge, which can lead to the revelation of our world", continued Anuon.

"That is not a problem. I was apprenticed at a time when it was still required for Elves to know how to interact with humans. I can speak English fluently and without an accent. As for my knowledge, I can limit what I use. You are aware that when I started training you both I held back most of my power. It will be similar", replied Galdir confidently.

"Right. We can act as your Guardians, in order to cover your background. We can say that you were home-schooled after the death of your parents", offered Aglareth.

"I think it should only be you Aglareth. As much as I am sure that my Apprentices would love the opportunity of bossing me around, we do need someone with more… experience", he replied. Canadion's and Anuon's face immediately fell.

"Well, we will also need to open an account at Gringotts for you, but I am sure that won't be a problem. After all, the treaty with the Goblins does allow us to open accounts in the Wizarding World should we ever need to. We will also need to buy all of your things, including a wand", said Aglareth.

Galdir's face drained a bit at the thought of having to wave a wand.

"Can we not use an Elvish one?" asked Canadion.

"There are none. The ones that know how to make them swore not to do so again after the results of the last one they made", said Anuon.

"Well, we can worry about those things later. For the time being, I assume that you know where the Casket is hidden?" asked Aglareth.

"That is the only real catch. The book merely says that it exists, not where to find it. Being such a powerful object, I would guess that it is in the vaults of Mainor or Aglaron. That is a good place to start, which is why I said I needed your help", replied Galdir. "Shall we?"

The three Elven Lords rose from their seats and followed Galdir as they went to the entrance of the vaults of Aglaron.

Unlike the vaults at Gringotts were they are located in deep caverns that stretch through thousands of miles, the Elven vaults are comprised of underground chambers, protected with just about every ward known to Elven kind. While families had smaller vaults that contained family heirlooms, and as such did not require to be heavily guarded, the main vaults of each House were impregnable to say the least. Only a Lord can enter them, and only a Lord may retrieve items from the vaults. Fortunately, Elves did not have currencies like the Wizards, since they could very easily conjure what they needed or grow it if necessary, so the vaults were there to protect family heirlooms, as well as objects of immense power. The entrance required a drop of blood from the Elven Lord, and the door would then melt away, revealing a pedestal that contained a single scroll. In here, was a record of every single object that resides in the vault. It contains the name, year of creation, year it was placed in the vault, and the name of the last elf to retrieve it, along with the date.

Galdir lead the Lords into his vault, and checked the manifest. He closed it in defeat. "There is no entry for the Casket of Winters Past. I can only assume that it is in your vault, Canadion?" he asked.

Canadion shook his head. "I have checked the manifest of mine recently. The Casket is not there, Galdir. I would remember had I seen it", replied Canadion.

"What about the hidden vault?" asked Galdir.

"I checked it as well, and there is no record of the Casket. The runes that are used to represent it are far too unique, and I would have recognized them", replied Canadion.

Conjuring chairs, the four Elven Lords sat down, deep in thought.

"Who created the Casket?" asked Aglareth.

"It did not name a creator, only that it belonged to my House", replied Galdir.

"So it must be here, but where?" asked Anuon.

Galdir relaxed and began to meditate, allowing his mind to follow the faint trail that had been revealed when he had seen the name. His memories lead him to a second roll of parchment, hidden deep within the vaults. Rising from his chair, Galdir checked the scroll again.

At the bottom, there was a single line that said _Vault of Lords Past_, followed by the location.

"I think I found it", said Galdir.

"Where is it? Is it here?" asked Canadion.

"Yes and no. It is here in the vaults, but it is not in the principal one. There appears to be in the hidden vault, deep within this one. I have not seen this since my apprenticeship, so I am only vaguely aware of its existence. Come on." Galdir banished his chair and headed down a corridor, followed by the other Elves.

After what seemed hours, the four Lords arrived at a wall of crafted out of solid gold. Protean runes were carved on its surface, along with the symbol of the House of Aglaron.

"Can you read this, Galdir?" asked Aglareth.

"Not quite. This is pure Protean Elvish, easily more than 65,000 years old. It was the single most complicated language ever created, and none live who can read it fluently. I used to be able to read it, but it has been a long count of years since I had the need to do so. I can, however, recognize some of the runes", said Galdir.

"Well, what do the runes that you know say?" asked Canadion.

"This one is blood. This is royal, and this one I am pretty sure means entry. The only other one I recognize is this, which means death", replied Galdir, pointing at the runes as he spoke.

"Could it be that it is opened like the entrance to the vaults? A drop of blood?" asked Aglareth.

Frowning in concentration, Galdir tried to remember how to open the door.

"No. A drop of blood would be too easy. This is a secret vault, and as such it must be more secure than the main vault itself. Which means this is not a blood ward", replied Galdir.

"The hidden vault of Mainor is opened with my ring, along with blood", offered Canadion.

"Yes, I remember. But each hidden vault is different. Besides, my House does not have a signature ring like yours", replied Galdir.

"A spell then? A secret word? That is how I opened the chamber where the Gem of Lüme. I had to give a secret phrase", offered Anuon.

"A secret phrase…" repeated Galdir. He stared at the runes, as his knowledge of how to read them slowly came back. "Speak… that is what this is", he said pointing at a rune. He frowned in concentration. "Speak, royal blood, entry. Speak royal blood? No that wouldn't work, unless…"

The Elves stared at Galdir intently. Anuon scratched his head, trying to figure out the puzzle, while Canadion and Aglareth patiently waited. Suddenly Galdir's head snapped upwards.

"Of course! How could I have forgotten!" he exclaimed. Before anyone could ask, he started chanting in an alien tongue. It reminded them of the sounds of nature: the wind caressing the trees, a river flowing sleepily, the ocean brushing against the shoreline. All of these sounds mixed together into one beautiful symphony of sound. As Galdir ended his chant, the golden wall shined brightly and then vanished, revealing a pedestal similar to the one at the entrance of the vaults, but crafted out of crystal.

"What just happened?" ask Aglareth

"Anuon was right. A spell was needed to enter. Since the wall was crafted at the time of Protean Elvish, then it made sense that the spell had to be in that tongue. As for the spell itself, it is actually a phrase that is passed down through the Line of Aglaron, one that only the true Heir can speak. It is our equivalent to your ring Canadion", replied Galdir.

"So what you spoke is Protean Elvish? Pure Protean Elvish? I never heard you speak it throughout our apprenticeship" asked Canadion.

"Yes. It is an incredibly complex language, meant to emulate the sounds of nature. The other major difficulty to it is that the magic is bound to the language itself. One of the major improvements of Ancient Elvish was to separate magic from the language, binding it to the intent behind the words instead. That is why everyone can understand it, though few can speak it", explained Galdir.

The four Elven Lords walked into the hidden vault. Galdir checked the manifest. As he had expected, it was written in Protean runes. He produced the entry he had copied and checked for the spelling of the Casket. He then simply skimmed through the document until he found it.

"How long has this been closed?" asked Aglareth.

"More than 37,000 years ago, judging by the dates on the entries. It makes sense, since Protean was quickly abandoned in favour of Ancient Elvish once it was created and Elves realized its power. Besides, the objects that reside here are very powerful. Many of them have not been seen since their creations", replied Galdir.

He lead the Elves through the vault. All around them was a collection of the most beautiful objects that they had ever seen. Although humans believed that Goblin craft was the finest in the world; a belief shared by the Goblins, that was after the Elves vanished from the world of man. Before, no one could doubt the beauty of the Elven craft. The most delicate figurines could be crafted from silver, with strands as thin as hair that would never break. They had learned all materials, from wood to gold, from gemstones to crystals. If Goblin weapons were strong, Elven weapons were even stronger, since they were deeply imbued with magic upon creation.

They felt drawn towards many objects, but they refrained. There was no missing the deep thrum of magic in the vault. This was ancient magic. Very powerful, but also unknown to them, and hence dangerous. They continued to walk until they found a chamber that contained a single pedestal, carved from the same crystal as the one that contained the manifest. On top of it, lay a crystal box. Its edges were made of what appeared to be silver. Energy swirled in its centre, giving a blue aura to the object. Written on the edge were Protean runes, and the crystal had lines carved on it. The lines converged at a centre ring that sat at the same height as the nexus of the energy within. The Elves could feel the immense power that the object projected.

Galdir slowly walked towards it, followed by the other Elves.

"Is that…", began Canadion.

"Yes. That is the Casket of Winters Past", finished Galdir.

They stood there in awe at the object, too hesitant to move. Drawing on his courage, Galdir grabbed the Casket. He expected it to be heavy, since the body was made from crystal, but found it to be surprisingly light. As soon as his hands touched the cool surface, the Casket glowed brighter and emitted a wave of blue energy.

"Do you know the spell?" asked Canadion, mesmerized at the infinite depth of the magic contained within the Casket.

"Yes. I just have to say it, along with the number of years I want to reverse. Theoretically, it should work", said Galdir,

"Theoretically?! What do you mean? Do you not know if it works?" asked Aglareth, her voice shaking with fear.

"No. The entry did not mention of any uses. It did say that the Casket had been tested, but it never specified if it worked", replied Galdir.

"Please Galdir, don't do it. It is far too great a risk, there must be another way–"

"There is no other way, Aglareth. I realize that this is dangerous, but it is a necessary risk. There is far too much at stake", said Galdir, trying to sound as comforting as he could. He was scared. He knew that there was a chance that he could die. Though he was not scared of death, he still felt he had things left to do. Too much depended on the success of his mission.

"Now, let me explain what is going to happen. Locked within the Casket is my signature. After I say the spell, my mind will be drawn in, and I will have to find it. The entry warns that it is possible to lose yourself within it. After I find the signature, my mind will return, and my body will change. The counter is written in the entry, and I will teach you how to pronounce it once I return", explained Galdir.

The other Elves stood silently as they acknowledged the risk that Galdir was about to take. Anuon approached him, and placing a comforting hand on Galdir's shoulder, bowed deeply.

"Good luck, my Master. May the stars and magic herself watch over you." Galdir returned the bow and thanked him for the blessing. Canadion walked up to Galdir and bowed as well.

"I will not say farewell, for I will see you again, my Master. Good luck", said Canadion. Galdir thanked him and returned the bow.

Aglareth lunged at him, her eyes streaming with tears.

"Galdir, please come back. I cannot be left alone. After my sister died I–"

"Shhh. It's alright Aglareth", said Galdir. He returned the hug, and spoke as soothingly as he could. "You have my word that I will return. You won't be alone", he lifted her chin as he spoke. Eyes glinting with hope, Aglareth nodded and released Galdir.

"I shall see you all on the other side", said Galdir. He then began to chant in Protean Elvish. A strong wind whirled past them and enveloped Galdir, as the Casket began to glow to the point that the Elves could not stare at it anymore. Galdir felt the magic course through his body, like having ice shoved through his veins. He felt his consciousness waver as the Casket seemed to draw on him. When he uttered the last word, Galdir fell and knew no more.

* * *

Head throbbing, Galdir rose. He was on an icy wasteland that stretched as far as he could see. _Well this is odd. This does not feel cold at all_, he thought. He looked down on himself to find that he was wearing simple white robes with a white cape. As soon as he took a step forward, Galdir froze. A high pitched cry pierced that calmness of the air, and he suddenly found himself surrounded by a wall of dark creatures. They were deformed and twisted by the long time they had spent in the Realm of the Casket, but Galdir could still make out what they had been. Lions, dragons, horses, centaurs, giants…. Every creature that Galdir could imagine was looking at him like he was a piece of meat. He could hear them whisper in Protean, all saying the same thing: "Take me. Take me." Galdir then realized the reality of the Casket. Although it was a doorway to another Realm of Magic, these creatures wanted to get out. They wanted to exist, but were bound by the Laws of Magic. Whenever someone came in, the risk was not of losing your own mind. The risk was of either getting destroyed by these creatures or trying to bring something other than yourself back. The rules of the Casket were very clear: if you attempted to bring back something other than yourself, you would be locked inside for all eternity.

Galdir tried to move forward, but his way was blocked by the wall of creatures. He tried to speak, but he could not. He tried to speak in Modern and Ancient Elvish, but failed miserably. _Hang on. This thing was made in a time when Protean was the only language available. So maybe that is the only language that is allowed in here_. "Stay back", he said in Protean. His voice was even, but he had given the statement enough force for the creatures to realize that he was not to be trifled with. Ignoring the warning, the creatures moved forward and prepared to lounge. "I said, stay _back!_" The wall of creatures was projected backwards with a force comparable to that of a hurricane. Since Protean Elvish was bound to magic, the force with which something was said was related to the amount of power that would be applied. It was also connected to the amount of power you wished to use. This is why it was such a dangerous language and why the Elves had to perfect meditation. Allowing their emotions to rule them would be catastrophic, and so meditation was a necessity to speak in Protean.

Galdir sprinted forward before the creatures had a chance to recover. "Find me", he said. Immediately six arcs of light shot from his outstretched hand. He watched them go as he ran, and then turned to see if the creatures were following him. All he could see behind him was a wall of black creatures running towards him. Trying to remember the phrasing for flight, Galdir closed his eyes in concentration. "Give me flight", he said. His body immediately rose into the air, but quickly found he could not control his direction or speed. Cancelling the spell, Galdir fell. He rolled and recovered quickly, trying desperately to stay ahead of the creatures. "Give me flight under my control." He launched into the air again and angled himself forward, increasing his speed. Because of the way Protean Elvish was created, each phrase was a spell. As such, you had to be very careful in phrasing so that the spell would react in the way that you expected. He turned around and saw that all the land-based creatures had given up the pursuit. This, however, had not stopped those creatures that could fly from following him. Galdir focused on flying as fast as possible. He suddenly saw a glint of light ahead of him, as the Seeker Spell returned. Following the path it had traced, Galdir sped forward until he reached a plateau. Standing here were two black figures. Landing, Galdir froze as he recognized them.

The male figure was himself. The female figure was his wife. Standing next to her was an Elvish girl, forever trapped in her youth. Galdir felt his heart break as he saw them there, and tears poured from his eyes. He kneeled, clutching his heart in pain. His eyes contracted into slits, and the dark lines that were etched on is skin began to glow ominously. Inwen broke from her husband's embrace and walked towards the kneeling Galdir. She kneeled and lifted Galdir's face with her hand. She stroked his cheek with the other, wiping the tears that streaked his face.

"Do not grieve love", she said soothingly. "I am happy, and I do not regret my passing. I had my time with you", she continued.

"It should have been longer than that", said Galdir. "We were meant to be together for eternity—"

"We still are, Galdir. We will be together, once you cross over", she replied.

"How will I find the strength to carry on? Every day I feel the burden of the oath you had me take. Every day I feel the weight of 1,000 years of life. Every day I feel the wound in my heart that will never heal", said Galdir, his eyes shining with tears.

"Draw it from me. I never left you Galdir. I am here." She pointed towards his heart. "I am always with you. If you despair, think of me. Think of us. If there is one thing that you can trust, is this." She held his hand. "There is something that I left behind for you Galdir. It is hidden inside my jewellery box. May it be a light for when you are lost in the dark. A shield so you can fend off your fears and grief. A net, to catch you when you fall. Always remember Galdir, I love you with everything that I am." Galdir nodded, trying to control his emotions.

"Galdir, I want you to know that I forgive you for not telling me, and that I understand", she said.

Galdir froze in horror. He had been very careful not to allow his 'condition' to show when he was with her, and had gone to great lengths to prevent her from finding out the truth, resorting to every known Glamour Charm in order to cover the dark lines he had. He had always feared that she would reject him as others had if she found out what he was. He eyed her, new tears finding their way down his cheeks.

"I-I…", he could not speak. Words were stuck in his throat. Things that he should have told her but never did.

"I understand Galdir. I know what you have been through—"

"That does not make things right Inwen. I lied to you out of fear. Out of cowardice", he said bitterly.

"You are many things Galdir, but a coward is not one of them. No one could understand what you have lived. I understand this and forgive you for not telling me."

"I do not deserve your forgiveness Inwen. Just like I never deserved your love", he said.

"Galdir. You are so much more than the emotions that have plagued your life. I want to ask you something before you leave."

"For you, I would do anything", he said.

"When the time comes, and you will know when it does, promise me to reveal everything to them. Tell them the truth Galdir. They will never understand, even he will never fully understand, but they can help you get through the trials that lie before you. Can you do this?"

Galdir stared into her eyes. Pools of the deepest sapphire met his own pale blue, and he could see the same thing that he had always seen since that day that they had bonded: love. It was that love that had caused him not to change throughout their time together. It was that love that had held him together. And it was that love that would drive him to do things that he had never dreamed possible.

"I promise", he said softly.

Inwen smiled and slowly placed her lips on his. Galdir marvelled at how soft they felt. The utter perfection of the kiss caused his eyes to return to normal, and the glow from his marks to cease.

"Is that…?"

"Yes. We will be waiting for you on the other side. Now go. The others approach." Taking Galdir's hand, Inwen helped him up and led him towards himself. Before Galdir touched his image's hand, he turned around to look one more time at his wife.

"Galdir?" said Inwen.

"Yes?" he said softly.

"Take care of my sister. My death struck her hard, and she is alone."

"You have my word", said Galdir. He then grabbed his signature and was immediately whisked away.

* * *

The three Elves eyed Galdir's body as it floated in stasis, with the Casket hovering above. Canadion paced restlessly, mimicked by Anuon. Aglareth merely chewed her lip, trying to contain her fear. Images of Galdir never returning plagued her mind, and she tried desperately to hold on to the promise that he had made. Minutes turned into hours, and the Elves grew more nervous as time passed. Suddenly, the Casket began to spin, and its light grew more and more intense. The Elves shielded their eyes with their arms, but the light was far too bright, so they had to turn around. "Well, did it work?" asked Galdir. The Elves turned around when the light had faded, and they smiled when they saw a 16 year old Galdir standing in front of them.


	8. Warnings and Vows

**VII. Warnings and Vows**

Lord Voldemort paced restlessly in the privacy of the master bedroom. It had been a while since Bedrager had paid him a visit, and this had caused the Dark Lord a constant migraine. He worried of the time that Bedrager would decide to appear, and he worried most about the outcome of said meeting. Last time he had tried to fight even though he was clearly outmatched, and as a result, he had suffered more pain than he thought it was possible to endure. Of course, a brilliant strategist as Lord Voldemort had not been sitting back twirling his thumbs throughout the absence of his mysterious guest. He had been training to further develop is powers. It pleased him to no end that he could now fend off his entire Inner Circle in combat. His wand work had never been better, and he had never felt so alive since he had returned from the void. He had withdrawn his numbers back to Riddle Manor immediately after Bedrager's visit, and had placed them all under the most strenuous training regime that he could muster. Many fainted daily, and even more were left in conditions that, where they in the normal world, would have landed them in St. Mungo's. Of course, this meant that his faithful Potion's Master had more than enough work, creating potions to rapidly recover the wounded and get them back on their feet. Finally, after two weeks of intense training, Voldemort felt confident that his Death Eaters could fend off any attacker. This did not imply by any means that he was not worried about the possible fight that would ensue if Bedrager chose to return, but he reveled in the thought of besting him in combat, and torturing him until he begged for death.

The silence was broken by the wailing of the wards as they quickly fell, followed by a high, cold laugh that made everyone in the manor cringe in fear. Bedrager had returned.

His hood could not conceal the malevolent glare that his eyes had, and his laughter was magnified hundreds of times so it resounded through every nook and crevice of Riddle Manor. As he had suspected, Voldemort had not bothered to replace the wards. He merely had strengthened them. Muttering incantations so fast that his lips and hands were a blur of movement, Bedrager worked furiously to bring the wards down. As soon as the last one fell, he casually blasted the front gate open with a flick of his hand. His pleasurable stroll was interrupted when he encountered a wall of ten Death Eaters, all with wands drawn and pointed straight at him. Grinning amusedly, Bedrager raised his voice to ensure that Voldemort could hear him.

"The courtesy of your home was decreased of late, Lord Voldemort. The first time I arrived here, I was met with five armed guards. Now I am met with ten. Did I not make it evident enough last time that your petty spells have no effect against me? Are you really stupid enough to force me to repeat myself?" his voice was dangerous, like an animal preparing to attack. Voldemort muttered "_Sonorus_" with his wand pointed at his throat.

"Last time we were unprepared. Last time you faced my regrettably undertrained Death Eaters. I am sure that you will quickly find that this is no longer the case." Bedrager simply smiled and stared at the Death Eaters in front of him.

The first wave of spells collided mid-air. After the smoke cleared, they gasped in shock to find that Bedrager was not there. He was roughly ten feet in the air, levitating. "FOOLS!" he roared. He simply stretched his hand, and in a blinding flash of light, he was holding a silver staff. It was far too dark for any Death Eaters to truly appreciate the delicate designs that were carved along its surface. Bedrager cancelled the spell that kept him in the air, and as he landed, he slammed his staff on the ground. A huge wave of magic sprouted and charged at the Death Eaters. Many tried to shield themselves, casting every manner of protective spells. Others tried to outrun the speeding wave. The few that had common sense simply Dissapparated. These few were the only ones that were spared from the fury of the spell. It slashed through the shields like they were paper, and it moved so quickly that it quickly caught the ones that attempted to escape. The spell made them feel like fire was being shoved into their bodies, and the night was filled with screams of agony, which were quickly eclipsed by the cold, triumphant laugh of Bedrager. He rose and casually strolled towards the Manor, his staff glowing dangerously in his hand.

As soon as the doors were blasted, he was encountered by twenty or so Killing Curses flying towards him. Holding his staff in both hands, he smiled predatorily as the spells simply vanished into thin air. The next moments were filled with the roars of charging Death Eaters, the sound of bodies being thrown violently through the air, and the groans of pain as they landed. Bedrager's staff was a blur of motion, casting spells in every direction that a Death Eater dared to attack him. Many were simply knocked unconscious by the blasts that emerged from the whirling staff. The not so lucky ones were caught by the other spells, which either maimed them in some form or simply filled their bodies with excruciating pain. After having dispatched the welcoming committee, Bedrager continued, slowly making his way to the dining room, where he suspected Voldemort was holed up with the remains of his Death Eaters. He drank every single moan of agony, relishing it like he was enjoying some exquisite bouquet. Halfway through, Bedrager was encountered by five lone Death Eaters. The one in the centre eyed him with eyes that belonged to a wolf.

"Ah, you must be the infamous Fenrir Greyback. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance", said Bedrager with a smile. He bowed and then met the eyes of the werewolf. "It would be wise for you and your pack to not attack me. The results could be quite… painful, I'm afraid." His eyes flared in anger as he noticed the werewolves preparing themselves to lounge. Waving his hand, he conjured manacles of silver, and quickly bound the werewolves. He watched them in pleasure as they began to fight them, only to have their wrists and ankles sliced open by the sharp edges of their restraints. "The manacles will not poison you, but they may produce a substantial amount of pain. Rest assured that they will not kill you, and that the blood that you lose will be replenished", he said, as he simply stepped over the quivering werewolves and proceeded to the hallway that leads to the dining room. Standing guard was a group of seven cloaked figures. The only distinguishable features were their bone-like hands and a single hole where their mouths would have been.

The temperature of the hallway was several degrees colder than the rest of the house, and sheets of ice covered the carpet floor and the walls. Bedrager stood there completely calm and comfortable, like he was spending a nice sunny day at the beach.

"You will find that your powers do not affect me. Now, I will give you a choice: you may go and I will give you my word that you will not be harmed, or you can attack me, in which case you will most certainly be destroyed. Choose well." Though Dementors did not usually obey commands of humans unless it suited their purposes, they quickly floated away past Bedrager. He turned around as they were leaving, and froze them in place.

"Before you leave. Make sure you do not suck any souls on your way out. I need them alive." Bedrager's voice was enhanced by his magic, and the leader of the pack was allowed enough movement to give a short bow. Smiling, Bedrager simply released them and proceeded to blast open the double doors of the dining room.

He was quickly confronted by the majority of the Inner Circle, led by Voldemort himself. Only two were absent: Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange. Bedrager eyed each Death Eater carefully, before staring into Voldemort's crimson eyes.

"I have dispatched your entire force, Voldemort. I have proven to you once again that I am more powerful than any of you. Although I have enjoyed myself tremendously, I have not come here to fight. I am only here to talk. What's more: I am willing to forgive your terrible manners, since your Death Eaters did provide good sport. Now, why don't we simply sit down and have a lovely cup of warm tea?" his voice was calm and pleasant, but his eyes sparkled with fury. Voldemort's upper lip curled, and he sneered at Bedrager.

"Do you think that I will allow your insolence to go unpunished?! I am Lord Voldemort! And I will not tolerate this intrusion—" Voldemort's phrase was cut off by the sound of gargling noises. He clasped his throat as an invisible vise slowly closed around his trachea. His predicament was quickly shared by the rest of the people in the room. Bedrager stood there, leaning on his staff, his face etched with amusement as the Death Eaters struggled for breath. They tried every counter curse that they knew, but none could break the hold that Bedrager had on them. One by one, they began to collapse and faint. As the last Death Eater fell, Bedrager released his hold on them, not wanting to kill anyone. He then turned to Voldemort, who was standing because he had ensured that his grip on the Dark Lord's throat was not as tight.

"That was a terrible choice Voldemort. I must confess myself to be… disappointed. I expected more from you. I thought that after our little chat, you would have learned your lesson. It would seem I was wrong", said Bedrager coolly. He slowly levitated Voldemort as he spoke, and roughly slammed him against the nearest chair. He conjured restraints, and then sat down. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a teapot that was steaming with freshly brewed tea. He poured himself a cup and he slowly sipped its contents, never dropping his gaze from Voldemort. The Dark Lord simply sat there, his thoughts racing wildly. All his plans and training had been for naught. In less than half an hour, Bedrager had single-handed dispatched his forces. "Now, since apparently this is the only way in which we can conduct business in a civilized manner, I will have to restrain you and your Death Eaters each and every time that I visit to ensure your cooperation. This will continue until you learn proper manners, am I understood?" Voldemort sat motionless, refusing to reply. Bedrager elected to take this as a sign of acknowledgement, and continued "Good. Now then, the reason for which I am here tonight is to discuss your plans Voldemort. I was a tad surprised when I saw that you had withdrawn yourself from the Wizarding world, although now I understand why. Misguided as your plan was, it did bring some benefit. Your numbers are far better organized than they were before, and their attacks are considerably stronger. For this, I commend you Voldemort", he said in a level voice. Voldemort sat there, his eyes showing mild anger as Bedrager spoke.

"And what makes you think I will share anything with _you_?" he spat. Bedrager eyed him dangerously, as he slowly continued to sip his tea.

"Like I said before, I am here to help you. Your goals are beneficial to me, and as such I believe that you will benefit from my knowledge and experience. In order to assist you, however, I need to know what you are planning. I also would like to know the reasons for each plan, since these can be almost, if not more, important than the plan itself." Voldemort continued to glare at Bedrager, but remained silent. Sighing in exasperation, Bedrager placed his cup on the table, and leaned forward. "I am really starting to get irritated by your lack of cooperation Voldemort. Now, we—"

"LACK OF COOPERATION?!" roared Voldemort. "You have attacked and threatened me several times, you are a complete stranger and yet you petulantly expect me to—" His rant was interrupted as Bedrager punched his face hard. Voldemort felt like a brick had just collided with his face and had cracked his cheekbone. Dazed, Voldemort tried to open his mouth to continue talking, only to meet a similar punch across the other side. Bedrager stood up and his magic amplified his rage, darkening the room and giving him an eerie red glow.

"I. WILL. NOT. BE. SPOKEN. TO. LIKE. THAT", roared Bedrager. Voldemort snapped from his daze and shrank as much as his restraints allowed him to in fear. "No matter what your _stupid, ignorant_ mind tells you, you _will_ respect me Voldemort, am I understood?" To emphasize his point, Bedrager took his staff and rammed it into Voldemort's midsection. Had Voldemort been unbound, he would have doubled over and curled in pain, but unfortunately he was not able to do so.

Pacing like a caged lion, Bedrager attempted to calm himself, but was unsuccessful. He waved his hand and released Voldemort from his bounds, only to grab him by the neck and promptly slam him against the nearest wall. "Now, I want you to listen to me _very_ carefully Voldemort. I am going to leave now, but I will return in three days' time. When I return, not only do I expect to be welcomed properly, but I also expect you to have a full description of all your plans, along with their intent. _Am I clear_?" he snarled. Voldemort nodded rapidly in fear. "Should you fail to do _any_ of these tasks or should you or any of your Death Eaters _displease_ me in any form or way; that will be the last thing that they will ever do. You may be protected by the Prophecy, but rest assured that there are worse fates than death. Your men, however, do not share your good fortune and they will be killed in the most excruciating way I can conceive. _Got it?_" As soon as Voldemort nodded, he slammed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Grabbing his staff, Bedrager left the house, healing all Death Eaters along the way and placing them in a mild sleep. After he reconstructed the doors and gates that he had blasted, he rebuilt the wards. Without a second glance, he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Fortunately for Bellatrix Lestrange, she was otherwise engaged at the time of Bedrager's attack. Had she been there, her fate would have been considerably more unpleasant. Having agreed to meet with her sister Narcissa, she now stood in a darkened alley waiting for her to arrive. A small pop heralded the arrival of a woman who was dressed in exquisite clothes of the most expensive kind. Wrapped around her, was one of the finest travelling cloaks that money could buy. Nodding to her sister, Narcissa Malfoy led the way, her face turning in every direction to ensure they were not followed. Walking briskly, the pair soon reached a small house. Muggles appeared to simply ignore the existence of the house, courtesy of a couple of well-placed wards. Narcissa knocked on the door and waited nervously. A rat-like squeak sounded from within, and the door was partially opened by a man who could have very easily passed by a weird half-breed of a rat and a person. Having spent 12 years as a rat, Peter Pettigrew had acquired a lot of the mannerisms of his animagus form. Not that he minded much, but it did make people nervous and irritable towards him. Even more so than usual. This is why Peter was here and not back at Riddle Manor. It also kept him safe from Voldemort's pet snake Nagini, who seemed to have a special spot in her stomach dedicated for him.

"Wormtail, let us in", asked Narcissa. Wormtail shook his head in denial.

"I am under strict orders not to let—" His reply was cut short when Bellatrix glared at him. "Y-Yes, of course. Come in, come in", he said quickly as he allowed the two witches to pass.

He led them to the study, were a man dressed in a black cloak sat, comfortably reading the Daily Prophet while sipping from a goblet.

"Ah. Bellatrix, Narcissa. What a surprise. Wormtail, bring some refreshments for our guests", spoke Severus Snape. Wormtail stepped forward and glared at Snape.

"I am not your servant Snape! The only one who can command—"

"The Dark Lord placed you under my charge did he not? Would you like me to report how unhappy you are with his assignment? Perhaps then he can ensure that you and Nagini get properly acquainted", he said with a smile. Wormtail blanched and scurried towards the kitchen. Snape gestured at the empty chairs, and Narcissa sat down. Bellatrix remained standing, preferring to eye the collection of objects in the room.

Wormtail returned with a bottle of mead and two goblets. Snape took the items from him and quickly threw him out the room with a flick from his wand. He then locked the door and cast several privacy and silencing charms. After pouring Narcissa and Bellatrix a glass, he sat down and beckoned Narcissa to start talking.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Severus. I know that you have been busy of late, but this is important. The Dark Lord forbade me from discussing this with anyone else but Draco—"

"If the Dark Lord forbade you, then you should not speak of it. Do not touch, Bellatrix. We must not take things that are not ours", he admonished. Bellatrix gave him a mild glare and returned the object she was holding.

"As it happens, I am aware of Draco's situation." Bellatrix's face flushed in anger.

"You know? And how is it that you know, Snape?" spat Bellatrix.

"Your sister doubts me, Narcissa. Understandable, since I have played my part well. So well, in fact, that I have managed to fool one of the greatest wizards of all time." Bellatrix sneered at the comment.

"Dumbledore is a great man. Only a fool would deny it. Rest assured, Bellatrix that my loyalties lie with the Dark Lord", said Snape evenly.

"You are a liar. You may have managed to deceive the Dark Lord, but you do not fool me!" barked Bellatrix. Snape sneered.

"And how do you suppose I did that, Bellatrix? The Dark Lord is one of the most powerful Legilimens in the world. Had I lied, I would not be here standing here to listen to your idiocies. He is also more powerful than I am, so a spell would be less than useless. And before you suggest it, he knows how to identify potions, so administering one would not be possible either", replied Snape. He sneered even more as Bellatrix failed to reply.

"As I was saying, I am aware of Draco's current predicament." Narcissa edged closer to him.

"He trusts you Severus. Is there any way you can help him? He is only a boy, and for him to do such task…." Narcissa broke in sobs.

"You and Draco should be proud Cissy. It is a great honour that the Dark Lord has given Draco", said Bellatrix.

"I am aware of what he has to do, and I am also aware that the task was given specifically to him. However, it may be possible for me to help Draco", said Snape.

"Do you mean it, Severus? Will you really help Draco?" pleaded Narcissa.

"I can try", replied Snape.

"Severus, I would be forever in your debt if you did—"

"Swear to it. Make the unbreakable vow", said Bellatrix. Snape remained expressionless.

"It's just empty words. He will try his best, but when the time comes, he will slither back into his hole", taunted Bellatrix. Snape eyed her carefully. "Coward", she finished.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Take out your wand." Narcissa's eyes filled with tears of joy, while Bellatrix froze in surprise.

Snape and Narcissa held on to each other's forearm, and Bellatrix proceeded to place the tip of her wand in the middle.

"Do you, Severus Snape, swear to help Draco Malfoy as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"

"I do", replied Snape. Immediately a tongue of fire sprouted from her wand and enveloped their arms.

"Do you swear, to the best of your ability, to protect him from harm?"

"I do." Another flame enveloped them.

"And, should Draco fail in his quest, do you swear to perform the task that the Dark Lord has entrusted Draco to perform?"

"I do." A third flame intertwined with the other two. After a small flash they disappeared. Narcissa hugged Snape gratefully, and then left with Bellatrix, leaving a contemplative Snape behind.

* * *

"So when am I going to meet your friends Harry?" asked Hedwig. It was early in the morning. The sun rose sleepily from the horizon as Harry and Hedwig walked slowly around the outskirts of the Burrow.

"But you already know them Hedwig", replied Harry.

"You know full well what I mean", she replied with a swat to his arm. Harry smiled at her.

"I guess I have held on to this long enough. I was actually considering doing it today if you don't have any objections."

"None. I just hope it doesn't create any more problems."

"Hermione will probably be happy for me. The only one that I don't know how he is going to react is Ron. He could just as easily blow his top over this as he could be happy for us."

"Hmm. Then I guess there's no point in worrying about it is there?"

"Not really no."

"Something on your mind Harry? Ever since two weeks ago when you got your OWLs you've been really quiet. What's bothering you?" asked Hedwig.

The fact of the matter was that Harry was bothered by many things. Chief amongst them was Hermione. More specifically, his relationship with her. Having been raised in a hostile environment had left more scars than Harry was aware or cared to acknowledge. If you add on to this the fact that he did not have any siblings, and there was no love in the relationship with Dudley, this resulted in Harry being very lacking in the emotional department. True, he did have a big heart as he had been told many times. He cared for a lot of people, and to him the notion of sacrifice was something that he was intimately familiar with. He knew that, given the chance, he would gladly give his own life in exchange for his friends or Hedwig. But this did not imply under any circumstances that he knew what it felt to love someone. To be truly in love with one person was a concept that was alien to him. He also had no idea what sibling love was like. Of course, he had the reference of the Weasley's, but they were sufficiently different from him that he did not really know how to take what he saw and apply it to his own experiences.

In short, he did not know what exactly he felt for Hermione Granger. Since Harry's announcement that he was going to take the same classes as her, Hermione had been happier than she had been in years. She had volunteered to help Harry study before he even had a chance to ask her himself. Over the past weeks, he had grown closer to her, and he was elated at this. They sat closer together, and overall seemed to be in sync with each other. It seemed like they just knew what they were thinking, which confused Ron greatly. After he had gotten over his tantrum, he had decided, somewhat begrudgingly, to join them in their study sessions. Though he had refused to send McGonagall a letter requesting the change, he did join his two friends as Hermione tried to introduce Harry to the wonderful, albeit complicated world of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. It turned out that, when he was relaxed, Harry was more than a capable student. Although he was nowhere close to having the intellectual abilities of Hermione, he was not that far behind as he had initially thought. This, coupled with the review sessions that he had in the mornings with Hedwig that essentially consisted of walking around the Burrow at the crack of dawn, had produced a massive improvement of his knowledge in the two relatively new subjects. This was done much to Ron's chagrin, who could not understand how his best friend could get so exited by school things. Moreover, he kept having the distinct feeling that he was slowly cast aside.

Nothing could be further away from the truth, as both Harry and Hermione gave Ron just about every chance that they could to involve him, but it quickly became apparent that Ron simply was not interested. His laziness usually overcame him, and more often than not, he would fall asleep during their classes. Harry could see the hurt in Hermione's eyes and this only served to increase his annoyance towards his best friend. _Can't he see that it hurts her? Is he really that self-centered that he cannot see how his actions affect others?_ he had thought often after the lessons. Overall, Ron's attitude confused him greatly. On one hand, he claimed that he was in love with Hermione, or at least that he fancied her. He constantly regaled Harry with his master plans of wooing Hermione and winning her heart. But on the other he never went through with them, nor did he seem to make any sizeable effort in at least feigning interest in the things that Hermione liked. More often than not, Ron would attempt to start a conversation, fail miserably, and then revert to his only topic: Quidditch. Yet he never realized, or at least that's what Harry chose to believe, that Hermione was not into Quidditch. Sure, she enjoyed watching the matches, and she loved cheering Harry on, but it was not a topic that she would willingly discuss for hours on end like Ron. Even Harry couldn't do it.

And so this cycle continued every day, the only difference being that Ron began to get increasingly frustrated by his so called 'failures', if you can call lack of trying that, which resulted in him having more arguments in Hermione, which only furthered the growing rift between the two. It quickly became apparent that the only reason that the so called 'Golden Trio' remained that way was because Harry interceded and separated the two. The end result was always the same: they would argue, Ron would storm off, and Harry would be left to console Hermione. It broke his heart to see her like that, but he really could not control Ron's brain, or lack thereof. It was during these times that he felt something that he had never felt before. He felt a sense of calm and peace wash over him when he was alone with her, either sitting in amiable company, or in some form of hugging or cuddling. It was a sense that Harry relished, and more often than not found himself wishing that Ron would simply go away so he could have more of those special moments with Hermione.

This only served to confuse Harry even more. Although he had quickly come to terms with the fact that Ginny was not interested in him like that, he was unsure as to whether or not he fancied Hermione. Yes, he found her to be a beautiful and attractive young woman, but he could not envision them every marrying, or being together like that. Having never truly experienced love, Harry was at a loss for describing the way that he felt for her. He was more than aware of the fact that during his grieving stage he had thought of her getting hurt, and knew that he could never bear that happening again. He was aware of the fact that he would seriously harm anyone that so much as hurt a single hair on Hermione's head, with the notable exception of Ron, but was that love? True, he felt a nice tingle whenever she laid her head on his shoulder, or whenever their hands brushed, but was that what it was supposed to feel like? Was he really in love with her?

"I don't know Hedwig", said Harry with a sigh. "I really don't know what's going on with me and Hermione."

"You want to know if you love her." It was not a question.

"Yes. But how am I supposed to know? My so called relatives never loved me. You were the only person to ever show that they cared for me in my life. How will I know what love is? What if I miss it and end up being alone? Or what if Voldemort finds out and uses her against me?" asked Harry.

"I don't know how to answer that Harry. I guess all that I can tell you is that when your heart is ready to love, you will know", she answered.

"How did you know?"

"What?"

"That you loved me like that. That you were bonded to me?"

"It's not as easy Harry. After Hagrid gave me to you, I did feel a certain 'attraction' shall we say. Over the years it just deepened, more so when we were at Privet Drive, since that was the only time that we had when we were really alone for extended periods of time. I guess I fully realized that I loved you sometime after your first year. You remember how I started bringing you food?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes. I remember having to hide them so Petunia wouldn't go ballistic when she saw them. It was by far the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me", replied Harry.

"Well, as an owl I was kind of limited on what I could do. But that's when I knew that I cared for you like my own hatchling. That I loved you like a son that I never had."

"So there's no easy way of knowing huh?"

"I'm afraid not. But easy things are never worth it Harry. It is does things that take effort that truly matter in the end." Harry nodded softly at this. "Now come on, there should be food ready soon and I can hear your stomach growling." They laughed softly as they returned to the house.

* * *

Hermione woke up earlier than usual that day. As it often happened, her mind was going a hundred miles an hour, trying to sort out her feelings for Harry. Almost a week in, she had finally arrived at the conclusion that she did not fancy Ron at all. He was rude and uncouth, and always hurt her feelings more than she cared to count. While Harry made her laugh, Ron made her cry. She had tried, more for the sake of the relationship that they had, to be patient; hoping that Ron would eventually come around and start being nice and actually court her. But even she had limits on how much of his idiocy and pig-headedness she could handle. And so she quickly found herself becoming cold and indifferent towards him, in an effort to prevent her feelings from being hurt again. She often ended up crying after their study sessions. She would curl up on Harry's side while Ron stormed off. True, he eventually apologized, but the truth of the matter was that he never seemed to learn from his mistakes. And that lack of learning was what had driver Hermione away from him and into Harry's arms. And therein lay the source of her conflict.

Even though she had come to terms with her lack of love towards Ron, she could not figure out her feelings towards Harry. In a lot of ways, he was as much of a rock as she was to him. Whenever he was close, she drew her strength from his. She felt safe when she was with him. She felt loved. But what kind of love this was she was not sure. Her upbringing was substantially different from Harry's in that she had actually grown up with a family that loved her, and so she knew what love felt like. She knew what it looked like. She just had never experienced that kind of love herself. She knew Harry better than perhaps he knew himself. Although she did not know all of the details of his childhood, she had gathered enough to know that it had been far from ideal. It made him seem so weak at times. So fragile. If she also factored in the huge weight that he carried from the Prophecy, then it was a wonder how he was still sane. She remembered very clearly how she had seen Harry when she had left the Infirmary. There was a haunted look in his usually vibrant green eyes. She still felt her heart break when he told them of the Prophecy. _It is so unfair! Has he not suffered enough? Why is it that he is not entitled to have something that we all take for granted? Why can he not have a family?_ she had thought. It was true that through her experiences with Harry she had come to realize just how lucky she was to have her parents alive and to have them love her. She also was lucky to have Harry in her life. She knew that Harry was the reason that they had come to rescue her that Halloween, and she was forever grateful to him. He had given her something that she had yearned all her life: a friend. And not only did she gain one friend that night, she had also gained Ron's friendship as well. For the first time she belonged somewhere that was not the ever loving embrace of her parents.

All these thoughts circled through her head, and yet she was never able to answer the fundamental question that had made her restless over the last couple of weeks: did she love Harry? Of course, she knew that Harry was attractive, and probably the single most sought after bachelor in Hogwarts, but did she truly love him? Did she want to be with him? She loved the way that he made her feel safe when he tried to console her. She loved the tingling feeling that she now had associated with his touch, but was that enough to say that she loved him? The only thing that kept her from saying yes was a small feeling in her heart. One that she simply could not place. It was that feeling that told her that the idea of being in love with Harry felt off, somehow. She could not explain it any further than that. It felt off. Not complete. Like she was missing an important piece, but could not figure out what that piece was. Finding no solution other than talking to him, she finally decided to get out of bed and face another day.

* * *

After their morning study session, one of the few that were miraculously row-free, Harry decided to broach the subject of Hedwig with his two best friends. Motioning them to follow him, Harry led them to the relative privacy of his room. Having already worked out the details of how they were going to broach the subject, Hedwig was already perched on Harry's bed, patiently waiting for the teens to arrive. Locking the door behind them, Harry motioned them to sit down.

"What's going on Harry? You seem nervous about something", said Hermione with apprehension.

"It's something I've been meaning to tell you guys since I got back here…" said Harry uncertainly.

"Well, what is it mate?" asked Ron.

"Oh bloody hell. At the start of the summer I was… in a very bad state", started Harry. Both Hermione and Ron, the latter thanks to an unusual stroke of brilliance, noticed his discomfort and refrained from saying anything.

"The point is that I basically did not leave my bed except for when it was absolutely necessary. On the third night that I was like that something… happened", he gestured to Hedwig as he finished. Recognizing her cue, Hedwig flew from the bed and with a pop changed into her human form. Hermione and Ron were frozen in shock and awe. Ron was practically drooling on the floor, completely entranced by Hedwig's beauty. His eyes were glazed over, signifying that he had basically lost all higher brain functions, not that he had many to begin with. Hermione, being immune to the basal feelings that men are prey to, slowly snapped from her trance, and her brain began to piece things together at a speed that would frighten most people.

"Harry… is she a… true…?"

"Familiar? Yes. We really don't know how she got the power to shift, but I'm really glad that she did. She basically saved me that night", said Harry.

"You were pretty miserable", quipped Hedwig.

"I was, wasn't I?" said Harry with a smile.

"Oh Harry! I'm so happy for you! Know you have what you always wanted!" squealed Hermione in delight as she lunged to hug her friend. "So is it true? Did you inherit all of his memories", she asked Hedwig.

"Yep. It was kind of confusing at first, but we finally sorted it out. It has helped loads with understanding what Harry is going through. Now, I may only be a bird in nature, but I am also female. You don't have to worry about me replacing you, Hermione. I could never do that", said Hedwig soothingly.

Hermione instantly blushed a bright shade of crimson. There was no doubt that she was happy for Harry, since he was finally getting a semblance of the family that he had wanted. But deep down she had wondered how she could compete with someone who had access to so much more than she had access to. Hedwig's words put the irrational side of her mind to rest. Of course she could not be replaced. They weren't even in the same category. Hedwig would become a surrogate mother for Harry, but she was still what she wanted, at least until further clarification. Neither of them noticed Ron's glaze fade to be replaced with a darkening scowl. Seeing things the wrong way was something that was now expected of Ron Weasley. He had, of course, misinterpreted the events of the Triwizard Tournament. He had been forgiven on the grounds that he was insecure. Being the youngest of a series of brothers that cast a shadow that he had problems removing himself from had left him a great deal of emotional issues. To make matters worse, his best friend was the most famous man in all of Britain. Not only that, but he was also the model Gryffindor, and was favoured by the teachers, or at least that was the way that he perceived it. And now, in addition to all of this, _famous_ Harry Potter now had a true familiar whereas he, Ron Weasley still had nothing. He was also aware of the way that Harry and Hermione reacted towards each other, and he felt it as an injustice. By his reckoning, Harry had everything, and it was about time that he started getting his fair share. The way by which Harry had gotten things did not matter; the important thing was that he had them.

"Yeah, congratulations Potter", he spat with venom in his voice. The trio turned; shocked at the way those words were said.

"Ron? Everything alright?" asked Hermione.

"Sure. By his reckoning everything must be just peachy. _Famous_ Harry Potter always gets everything. Not only does he get fame, and is favoured by everyone. If that wasn't enough, then he also gets the girl that I wanted and his bloody bird turns into _that_!" he snapped.

"Ron, you can say whatever you want about me, but you _will not_ insult Hedwig or treat Hermione like that" said Harry, his voice dangerously low.

"I will speak to her in whatever way I want! She is mine!" he said as he pulled Hermione towards him.

"RON! Stop! You are hurting me!" shrieked Hermione.

"Let her go", said Harry as he stepped forward. The room seemed to darken as his magic projected in every direction. His emerald eyes burned with such intensity that they could have melted steel.

"Harry, listen to me. Don't lose your temper", said Hedwig frantically.

"All this time I've been under your shadow! I've been your sidekick! And for what?! So you could take what I WANTED!" he yelled.

"Last chance Ron. Let her go", said Harry.

"Or what Potter? Are you going to cry to you new mommy?" The only sound that was heard was the sickening crunch of Ron's nose breaking against Harry's fist, followed by his body slammed against the nearest wall. Harry was panting heavily; barely keeping his magic reigned in, small arches of lightning leaping from his fingers. Hermione was frozen by fear and awe. Hedwig was rubbing Harry's back, trying desperately to calm him down.

"Get out", whispered Harry. With a glare that could have killed, Ron got up and left to lick his wounds. Hermione rushed to Harry and hugged him, sobbing quietly. Harry embraced her in an attempt to soothe her, while Hedwig continued to stroke his back. He felt tears sting in his eyes as he saw his first friendship crumble.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Mrs Weasley's shriek and the door opening. Eyeing each other curiously, Harry and Hermione headed out, with Hedwig in tow after she had transformed back into her owl form. What they found as soon as they descended the stairs was not what they had expected. Ron wasn't there, but that was not the shocking part. Mrs Weasley stood frozen stiff like a statue. The Twins were, for the first time, rendered speechless. All of the males present shared an equal face of disbelief and some form of deep entrancement. Seeking the source of this, the trio turned their eyes towards the entrance. There stood Bill Weasley, holding a woman of immense beauty.

"Harry, Hermione. I believe you've met Fleur Delacour, my fiancé", said Bill.


	9. Fall Out

**VIII. Fall Out**

Three days after the bombshell that Bill had decided to drop on his family, things were returning to some semblance of normality in the Burrow. That is, they would be if the Burrow had been normal to begin with. Though Mr Weasley had been initially impressed at the beauty of Bill's fiancé, he had quickly gotten over it, and could now act normally around Fleur. The same could not be said about the rest of the male Weasleys. Fred, George, and Ron were like three shadows that just seemed to follow Fleur everywhere she went. They were in a state of constant daze, and their tongues often hung out of their mouths, similar to how a dog would look after being offered a particularly juicy bone. Fred and George had almost skipped work two days in a row, and had it not been for Mrs Weasley, they would have succeeded. At some point, Ron had had his nose fixed. The only time in which his state of trance seemed to break was whenever he saw Hermione, Hedwig, Harry, or any combination of the above. He glared at them darkly, but then quickly resumed what had now become his favourite pastime: Fleur Watching. This, of course, greatly annoyed Bill and Fleur, but they had decided to ignore it, since it was an unfortunate side-effect of being with a Veela.

Hermione and Harry were really hurt by Ron's attitude towards them. The fact that Fleur was there was actually a welcome distraction for them; since it ensured that they did not have any direct confrontations with Ron. Harry, being immune to the Veela charm, treated Fleur like she was any other girl. A particularly pretty girl, but a girl none the less. Hermione was happy by this, since it meant that their lessons in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes had progressed quickly, and she felt confident that Harry would be ready in time to take the exams at the start of the year. Of course, given the combined efforts of Hermione and Hedwig, it would have taken quite a bit for Harry to not be caught up with the classes. Granted, Harry's study schedule meant that there was very little sleep involved, but he was actually glad about this. Although he had finally mourned the things that he lost, his childhood was dark enough that he was guaranteed to have a seemingly endless supply of nightmares. As a result, he slept very little anyways, and this way he was occupied doing something productive. The lessons with Harry also had the added benefit that it gave them the opportunity to be alone, which in turn helped Hermione sort out her feelings. Or at least, gather enough courage to ask him about it.

On the second day, Hermione had finally asked Harry what he felt for her after they had finished their studies. Hedwig was also in the room and, taking the unspoken cue, flew out the window.

"Harry, I need to talk to you about something", said Hermione.

"Sure. What's up?" he asked.

"Do you fancy me Harry?" she asked hesitantly. Harry was floored. His mind seemed to simply decide to stop functioning, and so he was left there, without any hope of coming up with a coherent response and with his mouth hanging open.

"C-Come a-again?" stammered Harry.

"Do you fancy me? Do you want to be in a relationship with me that goes beyond friendship?" she asked.

"I'm… I mean I… Do you?" asked Harry.

"I don't know Harry. Yes, I do find you quite attractive, in more ways than just the physical aspect. You are an incredibly nice and warm person. You are extremely loyal, fiercely protective, and actually quite smart", she said. Harry blushed at the praise. "You are brave, and have an amazing sense of humour. You make me feel safe and loved."

"But?" he asked.

"I just don't know if I actually love you like that Harry. I honestly don't have any experience on the area, and before you ask, I went with Viktor to the dance as friends. Do you love me Harry?" she asked.

Harry let his shoulders sag and his head hang. Did he love her? Did he even know what that was? What it felt like to love someone? He knew that he cared for her deeply, but was that enough?

"I don't know Hermione. I don't know what I feel. I care a great deal for you, and I could never bear to see you hurt. But I don't know…"

"You don't know what love is, do you?" she asked sadly. He shook his head. His shoulders started to shake gently as hot tears rolled from his eyes. Hermione felt her heart break at her best friend's words. Deciding to drop the subject, she moved closer and enveloped Harry in the most comforting hug that she could muster.

"What kind of person doesn't know what love is? Maybe the Dursleys were right. Maybe I am a freak", said Harry between sobs. Hermione immediately raised his head and stared fiercely into his eyes.

"You listen to me now Harry Potter. You are _not_ a freak! Don't you even dare think that you are. They are the freaks Harry. Not you. You are worth far more than they are. Any girl would be lucky to have you", she said. Harry searched in her eyes for any sign that she was lying to make him feel better. What he found made his heart swell. She truly believed that he was not a freak. That in spite of all the things that were not normal about him, he was worth her while. Forgetting the issue that had brought them to this in the first place, Harry just basked in the incredible feeling that there were two people in his life that accepted him for who he was. Even with all of his flaws, they still accepted and cared for him.

* * *

Hermione lay awake on her bed that night. Unable to fall into sleep's loving embrace, she decided to leave quietly and go for a walk in the cool summer night. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she did not notice a snowy owl land nearby and morph into a human.

"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Hedwig. Hermione jumped and nearly shrieked, but quickly calmed down when she recognized the speaker.

"I'm just so confused Hedwig", she answered.

"You want to know if you really love him and if he loves you back", replied Hedwig.

"I just never considered that he would not even know what it felt like. I was so wrapped up in my own emotions that I never stopped to consider the full effect of the rotten childhood he had."

"You had no way of knowing the extent of the damage Hermione. Sure, Harry has shared the most with you, but you haven't seen his memories. The reality is a lot... worse."

"How can I help him then? Should I be with him? Be his girlfriend?" Hedwig gave her a small smile.

"As much as I appreciate what you are doing Hermione, I know that Harry would say no. The fact that you are in doubt as to whether you love him or not means that you aren't truly in love with him. At least not in the romantic sense. That you care enough to even contemplate pushing your own feelings aside is something that family would do. Not a romantic interest."

"So you are saying that he is like a brother that I never had?"

"It certainly explains your overall attitude towards him. You have never demonstrated romantic feelings towards him, Hermione. And to attempt to have them would be unfair to you and to Harry."

"Then what can I do?"

"What you are doing now. Be there for him. Listen to what he has to say when he says it. We both know that Harry rarely, if ever, shows what he truly feels, which makes the times when he actually shows it all the more precious. Be the sister that he never had, like I will try to be the mother that was taken from him", said Hedwig. Hermione nodded.

"I can do that. But what about the love thing?" asked Hermione.

"My guess is that he will eventually find it. I don't believe that Harry is destined to be alone. As much as he may not say it, he believes that he will die trying to defeat Voldemort, but I don't think that will be the case. In the animal world, we believe in Balance. For all the pain that he has suffered, the only thing that will balance that is to find a mate that will love him as he will love her. We just have to give it time", said Hedwig.

"I guess it could also help if he met more girls."

"It's a possibility. But we have to be very careful with that. If we push too hard, Harry will close up and that will be counterproductive", said Hedwig. Hermione yawned a bit. "Go back to bed Hermione. It's late."

"Thanks Hedwig. We'll pick this up later ok?" she said. Hedwig nodded. Hermione gave her a hug and retreated to heed the calling of her warm bed, leaving Hedwig to stare into the Heavens, wishing that Harry would find someone who would complete him.

* * *

On the morning of the third day, Ginny entered the living room were Harry and Hermione were having their daily study session. Her face was bright red, and her eyes sparkled in annoyance. "I've had it with dear Phlegm!" she exclaimed. Harry tried his best not to laugh at Fleur's nickname. Having been annoyed so quickly by her presence, she had been the first to give her a new name. Fleur had been christened "Phlegm" within hours of arriving to the Burrow, something that would have made Fred and George proud, had their minds not been void of any other thought that was not Fleur. Fortunately, none outside of the three teens in the living room were aware of it, otherwise the top of the Burrow might have ceased to exist, thanks to the combined rage of Fleur's admirers.

"I thought that she was leaving today", commented Harry.

"She is, but she seems to be taking her own sweet time in doing so!" snapped Ginny.

"Ginny, why don't you calm down?" asked Hermione as soothingly as he could muster.

"_Calm down?!_" she shrieked. "I will not calm down! I am fed up with my lummox of a brother walking around like a dog all day! I am tired of Fred and George neglecting everything that does not have to do with Fleur! And I am really tired of Miss Goody-Two Shoes trying to please everyone!" she yelled.

Harry just sat there calmly as Ginny blew her top. He had never been annoyed at Fleur, but he could understand how the rest of the Weasleys could become irritated by her presence. Since her arrival, Fleur had sought nothing else but to be as charming as possible in order to win the affection of her in-laws. Which as a general principle was not a bad thing, but the problem was in the effect that was created. The matter was only worsened by the fact that Bill had decided to bring her in unannounced.

"Look Ginny. There is nothing we can really do about it. Besides, you have already survived two full days! What are a couple more minutes? Fleur is leaving today, so all that we have to do is wait for a bit until she leaves", said Harry. Ginny glared at him.

"He is right Ginny, besides—"

"How can you be so okay about all of this?! How can you disregard the way that Ron completely ignores you in favour of Miss Veela here?" she snapped. Hermione eyed her with cold indifference.

"As far as I am concerned, Ronald can do whatever he damn well pleases. He had his chance and he bolloxed it up. I am not going to keep waiting for him to remove his head from wherever he has it and realize what a great prat he's been", she said. Her voice was so cold, Ginny shivered visibly.

"I-I thought you guys were together…"

"Exactly Ginny. _Were_. Past tense. Technically we were never together to begin with. It was more a hallucination of Ronald's more than anything else", said Hermione.

"Oh look! She's leaving", said Harry, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room. He rose quickly from his place as soon as he noticed that Fleur and Bill were standing at the door.

Fleur was as charming as always. She was the dream model of every single designer in the world. It seemed impossible for her to look bad in something. In fact, Harry was pretty sure that she could find a way of making a sack of potatoes look attractive. Bill, on the other hand, seemed relieved that they were going. Ever since he decided to bring Fleur in, he had been mercilessly grilled by her mother and three brothers. His mother had been completely disgusted and hurt that Bill had neglected to notify her of such an important thing. This was quickly replaced by the anger at the effect that Fleur had on her sons. This was also mixed with anger and disappointment at Bill's siblings, but that was another matter entirely. His sister had not helped either, having caught her several times plotting pranks against her. Some of them were beyond the deviousness that characterized Fred and George. The only three people that had behaved in a civilized manner were Harry, Hermione, and his dad. After he recovered from the shock of seeing Fleur, Mr Weasley had returned to his warm and charming self, which Bill was grateful for.

"Eet has been a very pleasant visit Mrs Weeasley", said Fleur as she hugged the Weasley matriarch. Her face was one of absolute joy, as Fleur was finally leaving the house. Bill said goodbye to his mom and dad, and proceeded to leave with his fiancé, much to the dismay of Fred, George, and Ron, who groaned audibly. A mere second after they had Dissapparated, Mrs Weasley turned around, face bulging with enough fury to make a volcano seem tame.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU OGLE AT YOUR BROTHER'S FIANCÉ?! YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS HAVE BEHAVED LIKE A BUNCH OF PUPPIES!" Had anyone been within a ten mile radius of the Burrow, they would have been able to listen to these words perfectly. Ron snapped from his three-day daze and his face instantly paled. Fred and George snickered behind him, having recovered their world famous humour. "AND YOU TWO BETTER NOT BE LAUGHING! I EXPECTED MORE FROM YOU! BEHAVING LIKE A BUNCH OF TEN YEAR OLDS! WHAT WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!" Any trace of smiles were quickly wiped from the twins faces. The only ones that were not overly concerned by the yelling, other than the fear that it naturally induced, were Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "NOW YOU THREE GO STRAIGHT BACK TO YOUR ROOMS! YOU ARE GROUNDED UNTIL FURHTER NOTICE!" finished Mrs Weasley. Fleeing with their tails on fire, the three male Weasleys retreated to the safety of their rooms, leaving the rest to enjoy a sudden cooking spree from the Weasley matriarch, who needed to alleviate some of the tension that she had accumulated for the past three days. She continued to mutter darkly at the food she was preparing, but her mood did lighten up considerably.

After they devoured their meal, Harry and Hermione retreated back to the living room to continue their studies. They went well into the evening, and soon the sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon. Harry stretched his neck in an attempt to alleviate the tension from craning it all day. He gazed at Hermione, trying to figure out the best way to resume the conversation from the previous night.

"Hermione, about last night…"

"Harry, I believe I owe you an apology", said Hermione. Harry blinked curiously.

"Why? You did nothing wrong", said Harry.

"I did. I was selfish and instead of thinking about the way you must've felt about things, I just went ahead and put you on the spot, just so I could sate my own feelings. And for that I'm really sorry Harry." Harry reached out and hugged her. Hermione gasped. _He has never hugged me before_, she thought.

"There's nothing to forgive Hermione. You needed to know, and I was the one that could not give you an answer. I should be the one apologizing to you", he said softly. Extricating herself from his embrace, Hermione gazed into his eyes.

"Why don't we just say that there's nothing to forgive then? Agreed?" she asked with a smile.

"Agreed", said Harry as he gave her a lopsided grin.

"I realized last night that I do love you. But not as a boyfriend. More as the brother that I never had", said Hermione softly. Harry stared at her, joy clearly pouring from his eyes.

As much as Harry knew deep down that he wanted to be loved in a different way, he also was very much aware that he just wasn't ready for it. His past experience with Cho had left him a bitter aftertaste, and his life overall was not in a place where he could really think of such things. What he truly wanted, no; what he truly needed was a family that would support him over the dark days that loomed in the horizon.

"T-Thank you. T-That m-means a lot to me", said Harry, his voice overcome with emotion. Hermione smiled at him and hugged him tightly, feeling that sense of peace and acceptance that had been so lacking in her life wash over her. Harry smiled as he felt tears begin to brim from his eyes. _I have a family now_, he thought.

* * *

Soon after he had recovered consciousness, Voldemort walked around Riddle Manor and was shocked when he discovered that his men were asleep and completely healed. Now, Voldemort may be stubborn, but he is not an idiot. He quickly realized last night that his attempt to rebel was absolutely idiotic, and that continuing to challenge someone with as much power as Bedrager was a mistake. After spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon locked in his room, Voldemort summoned his Inner Circle for a meeting.

Voldemort sat in his usual throne-like seat, with his must trusted Death Eaters circling him. The Inner Circle consisted of Rodolphus, Rabastan, Bellatrix, Severus, Avery, Mulciber, and Pettigrew. Though the latter was there because he knew far too much about Voldemort, he was still a member of the Circle.

Voldemort eyed them carefully, and he had never seen them so scared. Though he would never admit it out loud, this was a sentiment that was shared by him as well.

"As you are all well aware, our visitor has… succeeded in besting us once more", said Voldemort. His most loyal Death Eaters paled at his comment. Bellatrix's eyes flashed with worry, as she saw something that she had never seen before in her Master's eyes: fear. Snape's face was an unreadable mask, but he too was worried. Though he had not been there that night, he had heard the reports of the attack, and he was extremely concerned at the fury and power that Bedrager had displayed. He refrained from commenting anything, preferring to wait for Voldemort to continue.

"As a result I have need of your assistance", spat Voldemort. He was angry and scared. Angry because he had lost so blatantly, and scared because for the first time since he had returned to life, he was threatened. Bedrager's power far surpassed his own or even Dumbledore's, and this frightened him. "Each one of you has been given an assignment by me at some point. I want a complete description of your assignment in a roll of parchment. Failure to deliver or if I discover that something has been omitted will result in a severe consequence. Am I clear?" said Voldemort.

The Death Eaters nodded and quickly retreated to fulfil their Master's wishes. As soon as he was alone, Voldemort rose from his throne-like chair. "_Wendy!_" he barked. Immediately, a small house-elf popped into existence. Her body was covered in scars from her brutal treatment, and the rag that she wore was as filthy as ever.

"Yous be calling Wendy?" she said, bowing her head.

"Yes. In three days' time, we are going to have a visitor. I want the best tea and biscuits that you can make ready for that time, do you understand, elf?" he said menacingly. Wendy bobbed her head quickly and vanished with a soft pop. Voldemort then retreated to his private study to draw out the last plans that he had slowly been creating, but had not yet revealed to the rest of his Death Eaters.

Three days later, Voldemort had a small stack of neatly rolled parchment, containing every plan that he had. As night approached, he disabled his wards, and entered the dining room. Wendy had already delivered a kettle with freshly brewed tea, along with two cups of the finest china and a platter with mouth-watering biscuits. Outside, a welcoming committee comprised of Snape, Rodolphus, and Rabastan, waited for the arrival of Bedrager. Each one of them rubbed their wands nervously, but was careful not to draw them from within their robes. The hooded figure of Bedrager materialized into view ahead of them, and slowly approached the front gate.

His hood could not conceal the smile of triumph that was etched on his face. Bedrager walked forward, expecting to find the resistance of the wards, but was surprised when he found none. Before him, cowering behind the gate was a group of three Death Eaters. Bedrager summoned his staff and prepared for another fight, when he noticed that they were not armed. Or at least, they had not drawn their wands. Bedrager vanished his staff, and approached the gate. Snape moved forward and opened it.

"Welcome Bedrager. The Dark Lord is expecting you", he said in a silky voice. "I am Severus Snape. This is Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. We will be your escort for this evening. If you would be so kind, we will take you to the Dark Lord now", he said. Bedrager bowed his head at the three Death Eaters.

"Let us not keep the host waiting then", he said.

Snape lead the way, with Rodolphus and Rabastan flanking Bedrager. They lead him to the dining room, and Snape knocked on the door. Bellatrix opened the doors and welcomed Bedrager inside. She offered to take his cloak, and Bedrager agreed. As soon as he removed his cloak, Bellatrix gasped at the sight before her. Standing there, clad in the most beautiful robes that she could imagine, stood the single most handsome man that she had ever met. His eyes sparkled, and his dark hair cascaded down to his shoulders. His pale skin glowed in the dark, and his body seemed to emit a palpable aura of power. Voldemort rose from his chair and bowed.

"Welcome Bedrager. Could I interest you in some tea or biscuits?" he asked. Bedrager raised an eyebrow at Voldemort, but quickly returned the bow and nodded. After dismissing his Death Eaters, Voldemort motioned Bedrager to take a seat and continued to ceremoniously pour him a cup of tea.

"I must say that I am impressed Voldemort", said Bedrager. "I had not expected such courtesy to come from your house. I was half expecting you to repeat your last attempt, though I am glad you did not. It proves that you may not be the idiot I took you for." Voldemort's face blushed at the comment, and his red eyes sparkled in anger. But, having learned from the past two experiences, he wisely held his tongue. Bedrager smiled as he sipped the tea that he had been offered. 'This is very good tea. By far the best that I have tried in this island", commented Bedrager. "But now that we have passed the pleasantries, I believe that we do have some business to discuss. Do you have something for me?" he asked. Voldemort quickly snapped his bony fingers, and Snape walked in with the stack of parchment. He handed it to Bedrager and retreated quickly.

"Very well. Let us see what you have planned", said Bedrager.

The next hour was probably the longest in Voldemort's long life. Bedrager slowly read each parchment, carefully analysing every word that was written. He sampled the biscuits, congratulating Voldemort on their taste and texture. He would occasionally nod or shake his head, which worried Voldemort even more. As soon as he had placed the last piece of parchment on the table, Bedrager closed his eyes in concentration, sorting all the information and deciding what was useful and what wasn't. Voldemort was gripping the edge of his seat in nervousness, awaiting Bedrager's reaction. Finally, Bedrager opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort intently.

"Most… interesting, Voldemort", he said. Voldemort relaxed a bit.

"Your plans are quite ambitious, though they are somewhat misguided. So what say we go through some of them carefully?" asked Bedrager. Voldemort nodded, and Bedrager took a page from the middle of the stack.

"Your takeover of the Ministry is most interesting. You have the general layout: dominating key members of the Wizengamot, replacing others with your own, and finally placing your own Minister for Magic. The plan is reasonably well thought, but it is somewhat… lacking", he said.

"Lacking how?" asked Voldemort.

"Well, for one, your method of choice for subduing people is not ideal. Granted, given your current knowledge it is the only method available, so I am not surprised."

"Meaning?" asked Voldemort.

"Well, Imperio can only take you so far. Besides, that is the exact same tactic that you used last time, and as a result the Ministry is now in the lookout for it. To complicate things further, there are people who can break free from it, resist it, or are immune. Overall, it is just a very taxing and inelegant process. There is, however, a better alternative", said Bedrager evenly.

"An alternative to Imperio? I have researched through every available source and—"

"Exactly. Every _available_ source. My knowledge is not readily available Voldemort. Returning to the matter at hand, the charm I suggest is _Dominare_. The spell is surprisingly simple and it requires only to be cast by a wizard of greater power to have complete dominion. This", he said as he withdrew a piece of parchment from his robes, "contains instructions of how to use the spell."

He handed the parchment to Voldemort, who eyed it greedily.

"What are the limitations?" asked Voldemort.

"For all practical purposes there are none. Only extremely powerful beings can break free, and that is fortunately, not the case for the majority Wizarding population. This should take care of every member that cannot be otherwise persuaded in the Ministry. Who do you have in mind for Minister?"

"I haven't considered anyone yet. But there is someone who could be easily subdued in the Department of Magical Enforcement", replied Voldemort.

"And that would be…?" asked Bedrager.

"His name is Pius Thicknesse", said Voldemort. Bedrager laughed at the suggestion.

"Thicknesse?! Are you mad, Voldemort? He is about as useful as a broken wand" asked Bedrager between fits of laughter.

"I am guessing that you have a better suggestion?" spat Voldemort.

"What about Lucius Malfoy?" asked Bedrager. Voldemort's eyes bulged in rage.

"That miserable excuse for a wizard?! He is weak! He is a failure! He does not deserve this privilege!" snapped Voldemort.

"Wrong on all counts, Voldemort. He did fail, but that was not his doing. It was yours", said Bedrager.

"How _dare_ you suggest that it was my doing?!" growled Voldemort as he rose from his seat.

"Now, now Voldemort. There is no need to get angry. If you will just sit down, I will explain why it is that I blame you for the failures of Lucius", said Bedrager, his eyes sparkling menacingly. Voldemort quickly sat down.

"Your failure lies in your inability to see what Lucius truly is. He is not a warrior or a spy. He is a politician. As such, his actions were spurred by his need to defend his status and political power. Power that he lost after he was sent to Azkaban", explained Bedrager.

"He is not a politician. He is a failure", said Voldemort dangerously.

"No. As a politician he is highly successful. He managed to maintain his leverage on Fudge, which proved very useful throughout the last year. He had also gained favour with several members of the Ministry, which is far more effective than any charm to dominate people. What you fail to see here, Voldemort, is that if we rescue Lucius and restore his power, there is no need for another person to be Minister. The pieces are already there, we just have to play them carefully. With the help of the new charm, Lucius will have the entirety of the Ministry in his pocket, and his ascension to Minister will not be met with any opposition", said Bedrager. Voldemort glared. He knew that what Bedrager said was correct, he just did not like it.

"So, we shall use your plan to storm Azkaban, and release him, along with the other imprisoned Death Eaters and the Dementors. I will help you coordinate it, but overall it is very well thought out." Voldemort nodded at the praise.

"The other thing that really needs work is your dealings with the light. That we will do later, since it is by far more delicate, but there is a way of making them less of a problem for you", said Bedrager. Voldemort eyed him curiously, but said nothing.

"The last thing I would like to touch on is your plan regarding young Draco Malfoy", he said as he eyed the parchment that contained the plan's layout.

"It was meant as a punishment for Lucius", said Voldemort.

"Right. But since we already agreed that Lucius is not really at fault here, there is no need for such punishment. The plan itself is bold though. I like it", he smiled as he spoke, sending chills down Voldemort's spine.

"Then it can proceed as planned?" asked Voldemort cautiously.

"I do not see why not. There is really little risk here and the gains could prove to be… substantial. There are some minor points that we may adjust as we go along, but other than that, it can proceed. The way your last instructions to Draco are to be delivered will be explained once we rescue Lucius", said Bedrager.

"Well, will you look at the time! It is quite late", commented Bedrager. Voldemort nodded, and he grabbed his wand. Raising his sleeve, he pressed the tip against the mark on his forearm. Immediately Bellatrix and Snape came into the room. Bedrager smiled at the courtesy and rose from his chair. Bellatrix summoned his cape and handed it to him. "Why, thank you darling. I am terribly sorry, but I do not believe that we have been introduced. You are…?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange", she replied.

"A pleasure. Might I say that your dress is absolutely stunning", commented Bedrager. Bellatrix flushed at the compliment, and smiled. Had her current state been more normal, this would have been an action that could have been considered cute. However, since this is not the case, it merely seemed disturbing. Bedrager smiled warmly at her and then turned to Snape. "Severus Snape, am I correct?" he asked. Snape nodded curtly. "Tell me, what exactly is your role here?" asked Bedrager.

"He is my Potion's Master, and my most trusted spy", said Voldemort, as he rose from his chair to join Bedrager.

"Is that right? Well, I must say that I am impressed, Severus. A Potion's Master is a rare thing indeed. I believe that your talents will prove to be most useful", said Bedrager. Snape remained expressionless at the comment.

"Very well then, I shall return by the first of August. Have a group of ten Death Eaters selected so I can deliver final instructions on the raid to Azkaban. We will take the next six days to prepare everything", said Bedrager. Voldemort nodded. "Right then. Shall we?" asked Bedrager as he motioned towards the door. Re-joined by his escort, Bedrager strolled to the edge of Riddle Manor. He then bowed at the Death Eaters and disappeared into the night.

* * *

The Weasley household was having a particularly slow morning. Harry and Hermione had slept in for the first time in a long time, relishing the new found peace that came with their new relationship. The twins and Ron were bored out of their wits from being in their rooms all day, and Mrs Weasley was just starting to recover from the stress of having Fleur in the house. The twins quickly departed for the safety of their shop, which they had been neglecting over the last couple of days. Ginny was the only one that was mildly awake, but then again, she is a teenager. As the teens slowly ate their breakfast, three owls flew in to the room. A more accurate description of the event would be that two owls flew in and one stumbled about. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon landed gracefully on the table, extending their paws to show the letters they carried. Errol stumbled about, and landed back first, also showing the letters he was carrying. Having left at some point in the left evening while Harry and Hermione talked, Hedwig had managed to make it all the way to Hogwarts and back in record time. Something that she was particularly proud of. Hermione squealed with delight as she lunged towards the owls. Their Hogwarts letters had finally arrived.

Harry smiled at Hermione's happiness and proceeded to pluck his letter from Hedwig's leg. He quickly eyed the book list, and smiled when he saw that the letter that he and Hermione had sent a week ago had been met with success. Gone were the titles that he needed for Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, replaced with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Of course, there was a lovely letter saying that he had to pass the examinations that would occur at the start of term, but thanks to the combined efforts of Hermione and Hedwig, Harry felt confident that he would pass them without much trouble. This, however, was not the only content in Harry's and Hermione's letters. A shiny badge emblazoned with the Gryffindor Lion and a shiny P slid out of her envelope. Hermione smiled brightly at getting the badge again, but was brought out of her musings by the frozen statue that was Harry, along with the imminent danger that was Ron's anger, if the furious red on his face was any indication.

"I… I'm…" stuttered Harry.

"Harry? What's wrong?" asked Hermione, electing to ignore Ron's anger. She leaned in and discovered the source of Harry's shock. A badge identical to her own was sitting on his hand. Comprehension dawned as she realized what Ron was now steaming about. Harry had been named the second Prefect of Gryffindor, which meant that Ron had lost his badge from last year. Ignoring Ron again, she hugged Harry, barely able to contain her excitement.

"You are a prefect Harry! That's wonderful! You'll get to see all the things that you missed last year", she said with a mischievous smile.

"Like what?" asked Harry with a smirk.

"Yeah Hermione. What _things_ are you going to show him? Perhaps the inside of one of the broom cupboards?" sneered Ron. The effect that his words had was immediate. Hermione's glare was so cold it could have frozen fire. Harry on the other hand, was literally radiating magic. His eyes sparkled with emerald fire.

"Take. That. Back", growled Harry. The room began to darken once more, and miniscule arches of lightning began to sprout from his fingertips.

"RON! Stop this right now!" shrieked Mrs Weasley.

"Or what Potter? Going to break my nose again? Why don't you break my ribs while you're at it? It's not like you've already taken everything that I ever wanted now is it?" spat Ron, venom evident in his voice. Harry winced visibly at this, and Hermione's glare softened as she noticed her best friend's reaction.

"Ron, I never…"

"Never what Potter? Never planned for this to happen? But of course, how could you not see this coming. Famous Harry Potter always gets what he wants. Just because you have that damned scar on your head doesn't give you the right to take what you wish from others. You are nothing more than a first-class _freak_" growled Ron. _Smack!_ Ron stumbled backwards as he rubbed his cheek. Hermione was beyond furious, completely ignoring the stinging sensation of her hand.

"You are no better than Malfoy Ron. How could you do this to him! He trusted you, and you stabbed him in the back. Maybe the Sorting Hat made a mistake. You are no Gryffindor. You are nothing more than a big filthy snake!" snarled Hermione.

"Why you little—"

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! THAT IS ENOUGH", roared Mr Weasley. The entire house descended into a state of shock. All except Harry, who was curled in a corner. "You will apologize right this second young man, or so help me you will not enjoy what's coming", said Mr Weasley. Now Arthur Weasley was usually a very calm and reserved man. However, there were few things that could get his blood boiling, and one of them was betraying a friend's trust. The reaction that Harry and Hermione had to Ron's comment was more than enough to send him into a rage so great that even Mrs Weasley cowered behind him.

"He deserved—" _Smack!_ Ron was literally thrown to against the nearest wall thanks to the slap that came from Ginny Weasley. Her anger almost matched that of his father. The twins had also decided to intervene, and they slowly grabbed Harry and carried him upstairs, leaving the rest of their enraged family to deal with him. That is, until they got their hands on Ron. The rest of the Weasleys could have whatever was left of him _after_ they were done. They reached the room that Harry was sharing and deposited him gently on his bed. Harry was in some form of a catatonic state, completely irresponsive to the rest of the world. Years of abuse by the Dursleys had taught Harry that the best way to protect himself was not to show emotion to the outside world. To become nothing more than a statue. Hedwig had flown quickly into the room and transformed, quickly reaching over to embrace Harry. The twins recognized their cue to leave and the need for silence, and so they quietly slipped away.

"You know Fred, I think Harry and Hermione's stay at the Burrow has reached its end."

"George, I was thinking exactly the same", replied Fred. They headed quickly to the fireplace, bypassing all screaming match that was taking place between their parents and Ginny to see who could berate Ron the most. Grabbing a handful of Floo, George tossed it into the fire and yelled "Grimmauld Place!" Immediately the face of Remus Lupin appeared in the fireplace.

"George! What's going on? What can I do for you?" asked Lupin.

"It's Harry", said Fred curtly.

"What's wrong?" asked Lupin, his face becoming serious immediately.

"Ron's been an idiot tonight and somehow managed to get Harry into…" started George.

"We don't really know how to describe it. It's like he's dead to the world. Hermione is trying to comfort him upstairs, but we really need to get him out of the Burrow", finished Fred.

"Move aside, I'm coming through", ordered Lupin. A flash later and Remus was standing in front of the twins, flanked by Tonks. "Where is he?" he asked. The twins quickly lead them upstairs. As soon as they entered the room, Lupin froze and Tonks felt her heart break at the sight that was before them: Harry was curled in the smallest ball that he could manage, and was sobbing violently into the arms of a beautiful woman. Hermione was rubbing his back and slowly scratching his unruly hair, whispering words of comfort.

"Who is the woman?" asked Lupin.

"Hedwig" said Fred.

"True Familiar", said George. Lupin nodded and approached them.

"We need to get Harry out of here. Do you think you can hang on to him so we can take him to Grimmauld?" asked Lupin. Both Hermione and Hedwig nodded. Tonks immediately began waving her wand, collecting all of Harry's belongings. As soon as everything was packed, Remus withdrew a broken watch from his pocket, and muttered "_Portus_" as he tapped it with his wand. The watch gave a blue glow which faded immediately. "Thank you", he said to the twins.

"You don't have to thank us Remus", said Fred.

"He is more of a brother to us than Ron is", replied George.

Lupin nodded and then motioned to Hermione and Hedwig to touch the Portkey. Making sure that Harry was securely held between them, they touched the watch, and with the familiar yank on their navels, the Burrow disappeared from their sight, only to be replaced by the dreary surroundings of Grimmauld place.

"This was supposed to be a birthday present for him, but he really needs it right now", said Remus. He motioned the trio of girls to follow him as he levitated Harry in front of them. He opened a door and revealed an exact replica of the Gryffindor dorms. It had a large four poster bed, a huge wardrobe, and a beautiful desk. He lay Harry on the bed, and he was immediately embraced by Hedwig and Hermione.

"In case you need to, the loo is over there", he said as he motioned towards the door in the bedroom. "Hermione, you can sleep on the room directly below this one if you'd like" offered Tonks.

"I think I need to stay with him tonight, if that's alright with you two. I've never seen him like this before", said Hermione.

"Sure. Let us know if anything happens", said Remus. He lead Tonks by the arm and softly closed the door behind them.

"What the bloody hell happened?" asked Tonks.

"I don't know, but that's exactly what we're going to find out. Come on", said Lupin as he motioned to the room where the fireplace was. With a flash, they were both gone.

* * *

Remus entered the Burrow barely able to contain the anger of the wolf that seemed to want to wreak havoc in the Weasley household. Tonk's favourite shade of pink had been replaced with a fiery shade of red that would put the redheads in the house to shame. What they found did little to calm their current emotional turmoil. Mr Weasley was leaning on a chair, panting heavily. Mrs Weasley was sobbing uncontrollably next to him. The twins looked positively murderous, and Ginny's glare seemed to have been brought back from hell itself.

"What happened here?" growled Lupin.

"You can ask that to the bloody coward I call a brother that is currently cowering in his bedroom" spat Ginny.

"Ginny…" started Mrs Weasley.

"No mum! You saw what how Harry reacted to what Ron said. You have mothered him all this time, excusing his attitude over lack of maturity. But I think that we all know that this goes a bit beyond that! He hurt Harry!" screamed Ginny in frustration.

"While that is true, it won't do any of us good to continue stewing like this. I will personally talk to Ron later, as soon as I've calmed down sufficiently to not do something that I know for sure I'm going to regret", said Mr Weasley.

"Could somebody please tell me why my best friend's son looks like he just got from Azkaban?!" yelled Remus in exasperation.

"We don't really know for how long they've been having rows", said George.

"All that we know is that the day that Fleur arrived, Ron appeared with a broken nose and was glaring at Harry, Hermione, and Hedwig", finished Fred.

"I fixed his nose, but I didn't think much of it. I was so wrapped in Bill bringing Fleur unannounced that I did not recognize it as the sign of a fight", sobbed Mrs Weasley.

"The next thing that we know is that Ron lost his Prefect badge to Harry", said Fred.

"About time, if you ask me. Whatever possessed Dumbledore that told him that making Ron a prefect was a good idea?" spat Ginny.

"As much as we may agree with our dear sister, we are digressing", said George.

"Right. So Ron saw that he had lost the badge and went ballistic", said Fred.

"He started accusing Harry of stealing everything from him, and insinuated that Hermione was some form of..."

"Slag?" offered Ginny.

"GINEVRA! I will not tolerate that language in this house!" screeched Molly.

"Oh! So now you step up to the role of mother do you?! What about when your darling son was saying that to Hermione? Or when he was insulting Harry? You know, the two that you always said were like family to you?!" yelled Ginny.

"ENOUGH!" roared Mr Weasley. "Ginevra Molly Weasley! If you are incapable of holding your tongue and acting like an adult, then you will leave this room at once! I've had more than enough of this for a very long time and I am not about to tolerate any more of it!" His glare was so intense that even Ginny balked down.

"Anyways, he then proceeded to call Harry a freak", continued Fred.

"It all went downhill from there", finished George.

Throughout all this, colour seemed to be rushing into the faces of both Tonks and Remus. These last to phrases made them seem like two furnaces on the verge of melting.

"_How dare he?!_" spat Tonks when she had finally mustered enough of a mind to speak coherently. She did not know Harry all that well, but she had been part of the committee that was sent to talk to the Dursleys into leaving Harry alone. As such, she was familiar with the term that they used to describe Harry. The fact that Ron had called Harry that was a low blow. A coward's blow. Remus said nothing, barely keeping his anger in check. He was so close to the edge that if Ron had decided to appear at that moment, he would not be held accountable for his actions. To put it mildly, there would be very little left by the time that he was done with him.

"I do not want him anywhere _near_ Harry. At least until they get to Hogwarts", growled Remus.

"On that we agree Remus. They shall not be seeing each other until they return to school. Even then, I shall put Ron under the strongest of terms to stay away from them until he is ready to apologize", said Arthur.

"Provided Hermione doesn't hex him to bits first", said George with a shudder.

"I would be more worried about Harry personally. Did you see the way that lightning was literally sprouting from his fingers? I would not like to be caught on the receiving end of any spell that had that much power behind it", said Fred.

"Right. We shall be leaving now", said Remus. He took Tonk's hand and lead her to the fireplace.

"Please let us know when he is better", said Fred. Remus nodded and with a green flash he was gone.

Hermione was at a complete loss of what to do. She had never seen Harry like this. He seemed so small and vulnerable as he lay in Hedwig's lap, curled into the tightest ball he could manage. His eyes darted nervously from one side to the other, and what caused Hermione's blood to freeze was the look behind them. Terror. Never had she seen that look in Harry's face. She had seen pain, anger, fear, but never terror. She glanced over to Hedwig who just continued to hold Harry close to her.

"I've never seen him like this", said Hermione.

"I have. Well, not directly. He used to turn like this when he was little whenever his relatives called him that in anger. Did you know that until the age when he went to school he thought his name was either 'boy' or 'freak'?" said Hedwig sadly. Hermione shook her head, as tears begun forming in her eyes.

"I knew it was bad, but this... I never thought it would be quite this bad", she said.

"At least we can comfort him now. He's not alone anymore", said Hedwig.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Hermione.

"I doubt that he will ever fully get over this. This kind of wound runs very deep in his psyche and is very difficult to heal. What I hope happens is that he at least improves sufficiently to not break down like this at the mention of the word", said Hedwig.

"The fact that it was somebody that he trusted only makes it worse."

"It does. I would very much like to take Ron and drop him from the top of the Owlery. That would make me feel better."

"I think that a trip to the Acromantula colony they told me about would be better", said Hermione coldly. Their dark thoughts were interrupted when Harry gave another shudder and started crying again. They quickly resumed their ministrations, hoping that Harry would eventually get better.


	10. Diagon Alley

**IX. Diagon Alley**

Thanks to the persistent work of Hermione and Hedwig, Harry had emerged from his shell by the time dinner rolled around. Acknowledging that this was something that they could not help with, Remus and Tonks refrained from entering the room. They were sitting through and uncomfortable dinner when Harry finally descended from his room, escorted by the two most important women in his life.

"Hey cub. How are you feeling?" asked Remus. Harry arched an eyebrow at his new moniker.

"Cub?" asked Harry.

"Well, you are being taken care of by a wolf after all", replied Lupin with a smile. Harry gave him a lopsided grin and entered the room.

"I'm hungry", said Harry, almost in synch with his stomach growling. Tonks laughed.

"Yes, I'd imagine that you would be. Well, come now don't be shy. We don't bite… too much" she said with a devilish smile. Harry chuckled lightly, feeling the tension that he felt slowly wane away.

"He's been making noises for the past couple of hours", said Hermione.

"You're one to talk. You humans are so noisy when you're hungry", quipped Hedwig. The room was filled with laughter at her comment. The trio sat together and began to hungrily shovel food into their plate.

"Says the owl that is eating more than any of the humans", said Hermione. Hedwig merely glared at her and, once her plate resembled a miniature mountain, began eating.

"You try living of mice for years and then eating this. We'll see how much self-control you have then", replied Hedwig. Harry laughed for the first time that day, and the rest of them smiled at their success in lifting the gloom from the teen's emerald eyes.

"So Harry, do you like the room?" asked Remus.

"Yes Professor Lupin. It's—"

"Harry. I'm not your professor. I insist that you either call me Remus or Moony. The same goes to you young lady", he said eyeing Hermione. Harry gave him a smile of gratitude.

"Yes Moony. I really like the room; it feels so much like… home." The last was said in a little over a whisper.

"Sirius built it for you", said Tonks. Harry's eyes immediately sparkled at this.

"I believe that this letter will explain any questions that you might have", said Remus as he handed Harry a sealed envelope. Hermione and Hedwig moved a bit away from him so as to give him some privacy. Hands trembling, Harry opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

_Hello pup,_

_If you are reading this, then it means that I am already dead. Hopefully I went out in a way of my choosing, if not, then I guess there really isn't much point in getting upset about it. Now, on to the serious stuff. _

_I know that you are sad, and you probably feel alone and unprotected. Though our time was brief, I can honestly say that it was the happiest that I have been since your father told me that Lily was pregnant and that he wanted me to be your godfather._

_Don't mourn me Harry. I want you to live, laugh, love, wreak havoc in Hogwarts and make Snape's life a misery. Remember, you are the son and godson of the Marauder's! Always remember what I told you Harry: the one's that we love never truly leave us. You can always find them in your heart._

_Know that your parents loved you very much. You were James' greatest accomplishment, and you were the world to your mother. I always thought of you as a son._

_On a different topic, I left you Grimmauld place, along with all of my wealth and possessions. Please treat Kreacher better than I did. Perhaps then he will quit being so miserable._

_The room where I am living this letter I made for you. This is your home now Harry, don't ever forget it. Feel free to change it to whatever suits your purposes. Also the bed does have an enlarging charm, should you ever need it (wink)._

_Farewell,_

_Sirius_

Harry felt a small tear roll from his cheek as he finished reading the letter.

"Thank you Moony. It… really means a lot to me", said Harry.

"You're welcome Harry. Grimmauld place is now your home. It was his last wish that you would have a place that you could call your own", said Remus with a smile. Harry rose from the chair, clutching the letter tightly.

"I think I'm going to go to bed", said Harry.

"Are you alright?" asked Hedwig, concern in her voice.

"No. But I think I finally will be", he said. "Good night" and with that he retreated to his bedroom. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he was instantly asleep, exhausted from the most emotionally draining day that he had ever had. He was sad, and hurt. But mixed with these feelings came a sense of peace. Of belonging. _I have a home now_, was his last thought before darkness claimed him.

* * *

Harry woke up on the morning of his birthday to the smell of bacon, sausages, eggs, and pancakes. Rubbing the sleep off his eyes, he got up and headed into the shower. After he had changed to a pair of clean clothes, he descended to the kitchen to find a group of people smiling at him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" they yelled as he entered the room. The group consisted of Hermione, Hedwig, Remus, Tonks; the Weasleys sans Ron, Alastor Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebot. Of course, Moody did not yell, but he did treat Harry to a smile, something that was exceedingly rare on the old Auror. Harry's smile was huge, and he was literally beaming with happiness. These were all people that cared for him, in one way or another. People who had taken the time to meet the real Harry Potter. _Something like a family_, thought Harry. He was almost bowled over by a rushing mass of brown hair that was literally jumping with excitement.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" squealed Hermione and gave him a peck on the cheek. Harry's smile got brighter, and he mumbled a reply. Next in line was Hedwig, who was not about to demean herself by showing the same level of excitement as Hermione. Granted, that did not mean that inside she wasn't jumping every bit as much as; if not more than, Hermione. She gave Harry a warm hug and congratulated him for his birthday. The queue progressed rapidly until the only ones left were the Weasleys. Arthur walked forward and embraced Harry.

"I just want to apologize—"

"It's Ron that has to apologize Mr Weasley. Not you", interjected Harry. Mr Weasley smiled and congratulated him as well, only to be replaced by the bone crushing hug of Mrs Weasley.

"Mrs… Weasley… I… need… to… breathe" wheezed Harry. She quickly released him and apologized. As soon as everyone had congratulated him, he immediately sat down and was presented with a heaping plate of food.

"So Harry, we thought we would celebrate your birthday by taking a trip to Diagon Alley", said Remus.

"I would like that. Thanks Moony", said Harry with a smile.

"No thanks necessary cub. Now, we won't be Flooing there since your loathing of Floo is not a secret", said Tonks with a mischievous smile.

"Stop sugar coating it Nymphadora. It's for his own protection", grumbled Moody.

"_Don't_ call me Nymphadora Alastor. Besides, it's his birthday that does not mean that—"

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" roared Moody. Harry chuckled at the exchange.

"It's fine really. It's his way of showing that he cares", said Harry. Tonks smiled at him while Moody squirmed a bit. He was a battle-hardened Auror. He could not afford this kind of softness. Yet, Harry had touched Moody like no one before him, and so the old Auror found himself, for the second time that day, smiling.

"Right Potter. As soon as you are done, we shall be leaving by cars. Shacklebot! Is everything set?" asked Moody. Kingsley smiled.

"Indeed it is. All that is missing is the birthday boy", he replied.

Once everyone was ready, they loaded themselves into the cars, and left for Diagon Alley. Harry was sitting next to Hermione with Hedwig perched on his shoulder on the back of the car that was driven by Remus and Tonks. Immediately behind them was the car that contained the Weasleys. Bringing up the rear was Alastor and Kingsley.

So Moony, any news from the Order?" asked Harry.

"Are you sure you want to have this discussion now?" asked Remus. Harry nodded. "Very well. People are scared. More now, since Voldemort has been laying low for the past week or so", explained Lupin.

"But isn't it a good thing that he hasn't shown up?" asked Hermione.

"Typically the answer would be yes. The problem is that he was never inactive for this long in the past, and it does not herald anything good. It seems like he might be preparing for something, but we are not entirely sure", said Tonks.

"There are some who believe that Voldemort might decide to attack Azkaban to get his Death Eaters out, but these are mere speculations", said Lupin.

"Speculations or not, the Ministry has decided to triple the security in Azkaban. It is now crawling with even more Dementors and Aurors. It would be almost impossible to break into there now", commented Tonks.

Harry was deep in thought. Ever since Voldemort had possessed him, he had not felt his emotions through the connection from his scar. He could not sense anything, and this worried him. Though it was an unpleasant experience, it did provide him and the Order with an advantage and information that could prove critical. But he had not been able to pick up anything, and this was not a good sign.

"And how is the Order handling this?" asked Hermione.

"Lots of meetings, but not much is getting done. The main difficulty right now is the lack of information regarding Voldemort. So we basically have been preparing for everything and anything that we can think of", explained Lupin.

"So basically it's been a snore fest for the past couple of meetings", interjected Tonks. Lupin gave her a mock glare, as Harry and Hermione snickered at her comment.

They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, and they descended from the cars. Though the Leaky Cauldron was not as empty as was expected, the atmosphere was still very tense. Harry immediately noted the truth behind Remus' words. Though Voldemort had been lying low, people were still very tense about it, fearing the magnitude of the next attack.

"Alright, listen up!" said Mad-Eye. "Everyone here must be with at least one Auror at all times. That means no wandering around Potter!" Moody's eye was swivelling in all directions, but it did hone in on Harry for a bit, giving him shivers. "The operation is simple: get in, buy your stuff, eat dinner, and get out. Understood?" everyone nodded. Harry and Hermione went together, flanked by Remus and Tonks. Ginny stuck with her parents, which were joined by Kingsley. Mad-Eye simply mingled in the crowd, trying to cover as much ground as possible.

"Let's go to Gringotts first. I don't have enough money to buy all the stuff I need", said Harry.

"I also have to stop by Gringotts", said Hermione.

"Excellent! Then we shall go together. Onwards!" exclaimed Lupin. Tonks leaned in and gave him a quick peck in the cheek as she laughed at his comment.

"So what have you two been up to over the summer?" asked Remus.

"Not all that much. I dropped two classes and have been studying with the help of these two", said Harry as he motioned to Hermione and Hedwig.

"Which classes did you drop?" asked Remus.

"Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. I replaced them with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy", said Harry.

"Really? And what are your thoughts on them?" asked Remus. They then proceeded to have an in depth conversation on both subjects.

They arrived to Gringotts, and quickly entered the bank. Goblins stood in their high tables, counting and moving amounts of gold, silver, and jewels that would make anyone crazy. The bank was empty, except for the trio and two others. It appeared to be a mother and her son, but this was not the important part. Remus' and Harry's jaws hit the floor when they noticed the mother. She looked no older than 30 and was positively the most beautiful woman that he had ever laid eyes on. In fact, she seemed too beautiful. He suspected that she might have been a Veela, but they usually did not come to such a common place as Gringotts. Her hair was strawberry gold, and her eyes were a sparkling shade of blue. Her face appeared to have been carved by the gods themselves in the purest of marble, which was increased by the soft, angelic glow that her skin gave. Her robes appeared to be the most expensive around, though he had never seen anything similar.

Hermione and Tonks, though Hermione much more than Tonks, were equally dazzled by the young boy. Their thoughts agreed in one thing: the boy was gorgeous. In fact, he was the single most handsome and beautiful boy that she had ever met. A cascade of deep gold and brown fell from his head. His skin glowed softly in the light, and his blue eyes sparkled furiously. His robes matched the ones that his mother was wearing, and only seemed to enhance his beauty. Hermione looked at the eyes of the young boy, and was surprised to find that they were similar to Harry's. Though they projected strength, there was something lurking underneath. A shadow, created by both horror and grief, which was so light it went by undetected unless one was looking for it.

Having finished their business with the goblin, the two strangers thanked him, bowed, and left. The trio recognized that they were speaking in Gobbledegook, which only a handful of wizards could speak. Snapping from their trance, they approached the Goblin and requested access to their respective vaults. Remus stayed behind with Tonks, electing to give the youngsters some time alone and saving himself from the dreadful cart ride. It never really sat well with him, and the full moon had been only a couple of days ago. Harry and Hermione sat together as they sped downwards into the inky blackness of the Gringotts vaults.

They arrived at Hermione's vault first. Since she was a muggleborn, her money was converted from her parent's fund in London to Wizarding money. As a result, her vault was closer to the surface and also considerably smaller than Harry's. The contents were few, but still more than the contents of the Weasley vault. Had Ron seen this, his ears would have turned pink with jealousy. Harry noticed that unlike Ron, Hermione was not shy of the vault, in fact, much like Harry, and she was thrilled that she had one. She smiled broadly every time that she went to her vault in Gringotts, once again ensuring her place in the Wizarding World. After she collected the necessary money, they continued their descent towards Harry's vault. Harry noticed that Hermione's money bag was a bit fuller than previous years, but did not comment on it.

After a quick stop at the Potter vault and a lightning fast ride back to the surface, the two teens were squinting in the bright sunlight.

"So", started Remus, "where would you two want to go first?" Harry looked at his list.

"Well, it would be better to get the easy stuff first. I am not in Potion's this year, so I only need to get some writing stuff and more treats for Hedwig", he said.

"How come you're not in Potions?" asked Remus.

"I got an E in my Potions OWL, and Snape only accepts O's in his class", said Harry.

"Does that mean you can't be an Auror?" asked Remus. Though Hermione was aware of Harry's grade, she had not considered the effect that it could have on his best friend's future.

"It does. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I will figure something out", replied Harry, dropping the subject.

"Hermione, do you want to go to the Apothecary first?" Hermione smiled at the question, and nodded. Hermione replenished her Potions material, and then they went to the stationary shop, were they both got a new set of quills. Harry's was courtesy of Remus and Tonks, saying that it was his birthday present. Hermione's new quill was made out of a griffin feather, whereas Harry's was a phoenix's. Upon exiting the shop, they both noticed the wreckage that had once been Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Hermione's face saddened at the sight, while Harry remained seemingly unaffected by it. The reality was very different, but he had to maintain a strong façade.

"What happened here Remus?" asked Harry.

"Well, a couple of weeks back, Voldemort ordered an attack on Florean's. The Death Eaters came in and captured him, leaving the wreck that you now see. There has also been an attempt on Ollivander's, but he managed to fend off the Death Eaters and they never returned. His stubbornness is the only reason why the store is still open", replied Remus. Harry said nothing, and Hermione clasped her hands over her mouth.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

"Yes. It appears that old Ollivander is not as defenceless as he might seem. He gave the Death Eaters quite a beating. It has been the talk of Diagon Alley ever since, and now some students are afraid to go in!" said Remus. The trio laughed at the image of old Ollivander defeating the Death Eaters and young first years afraid to enter.

"Well, we have all the light stuff, where to next?" asked Remus.

"I would like to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies. I need more polish for my Firebolt", said Harry.

After Harry had bought a new polish for his broom, he exited the store.

"Speaking of Quidditch, do you know who the new captain is?" asked Hermione.

"I haven't heard anything. Apparently McGonagall is going to announce it at the start of the term, but it could be anyone", answered Harry.

"So Moony, I've been meaning to ask: how long has this been going for?" asked Harry. Lupin blushed.

"How long has what being going for?" he asked feigning ignorance.

"I think you know full well what Harry means Moony", quipped Hermione, a devilish smile gracing her face. Lupin blushed even further, but was momentarily spared from his embarrassment as Tonks tripped over her own two feet.

"Well, if you two must know, I've been seeing Mr Wolf here for the past two months", said Tonks with a proud smile.

"That's wonderful Tonks! Congratulations to the two of you", said Hermione happily.

"About time if you ask me", said Harry.

"And what exactly do you mean by that cub?" asked Remus.

"You weren't exactly good at hiding it. Heck, even I noticed that you two obviously liked each other. Or at least that's what it seemed. I wasn't particularly sure…" said Harry.

Remus immediately turned a very bright shade of crimson, followed swiftly by Tonks.

"Yes, well… Where to next?" said Remus, hoping to spare himself from any further embarrassment.

Deciding to let Remus off the hook, Hermione gave Harry a long look.

"We need to go to Madame Malkin's. Harry needs new robes", she said. Harry eyed her curiously, while Remus attempted not to laugh. Remus was delighted at the news, but he also found it incredibly funny that Hermione, out of all people, wanted to take Harry to buy him new robes.

"But Hermione, I don't need—"

"Harry James Potter! I will not allow my best friend to walk around with clothes that do not fit him properly. We will go to Madame Malkin's and we are not leaving until you are properly attired", she commanded. Remus stared at her, amazed at the similarity between her and Minerva McGonagall. Harry held his ground, but eventually caved in. He did need new robes, though he did not want to admit it.

As soon as they entered the shop, they were encountered with two surprises. The first one was pleasant in nature, while the second one was not. Sitting in the back, was the boy and mother that they had seen at Gringotts. The black robes that the boy was waiting to get fitted did not carry the crest of any of the houses, which was odd, considering his age. The other surprise was the customer currently being attended by Madame Malkin herself. His white blonde hair shone, almost matching the light that his pale skin was throwing off. Draco Malfoy's face was contorted with disgust even before he noticed Harry's presence. Standing behind him, clad in her usual expensive and tasteful attire was Narcissa Malfoy herself. "Be careful with that needle, you are poking me!" barked Malfoy. Narcissa was trying to soothe her son, but failing miserably. Madame Malkin was so nervous that her hand was visibly shaking. She finally slipped enough to prick Malfoy, which earned her a slap from the Malfoy heir. "STUPID WOMAN!" he yelled, rubbing his arm.

He quickly removed the robe that he was trying on and threw it at her, being very careful not to reveal his left forearm. He then stormed out of the shop, not even noticing Harry, Hermione, and Lupin. Narcissa gave Madame Malkin an apologetic look, and quickly followed her son.

"I am so glad that pretentious pureblood is finally gone", commented the boy. Harry and Remus burst out laughing at the comment, and Hermione tried very hard not to laugh, but eventually gave in.

"Is he always like that?" he asked. As soon as Harry had calmed down, he nodded.

"He's been like that since we first met six years ago." They boy raised his eyebrows.

"You have my admiration. It must have been very hard not to have glued his lips shut. Especially if he was with you for six years", he commented. Harry laughed again, and approached the boy.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met. I am—"

"Harry Potter. A pleasure to meet you. And before you ask, no, I did not recognize you from the scar. It was your face. I have seen it once on a paper that another was reading", said the boy, as he gave Harry a short bow.

"This is my friend, Hermione Granger", said Harry.

"The brightest witch of her age, as I understand it. A pleasure", replied the boy, bowing to Hermione as well.

"This is Remus Lupin, he was—-"

"The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. If the rumours are true, you were one of the best they ever had in the past six years", commented the boy, making Remus blush.

"Should I introduce you to Tonks or do you already know who she is?" asked Harry with a smile.

"I am afraid that I have not heard of you, madam. My mother never mentioned one named Tonks. There was an extraordinary new Auror who was also a metamorphagus. Are you, perchance, that person?" asked the boy. Tonks blushed an even brighter shade of red than Remus. Deciding to spare her, Harry nodded.

"Her real name is Nymphadora, but she refuses to let anyone call her that", answered Harry.

"Really? But why would she deny the world of employing such a beautiful name? After all, it is said that the nymphs were beautiful beyond the realms of mortals Nymphadora", said the boy.

"Don't call me that", mumbled Tonks as she blushed even harder.

"And you are…?" asked Harry.

"Where are my manners? I apologize, Hermione, Nymphadora, Remus, and Harry. My name is Galdir Aglaron, and this is my mother, Aglareth Algarebel."

* * *

Since his return from the Casket, Galdir had dedicated himself to studying everything that had transpired over the past six years at Hogwarts, as well as collecting as much information as he could from his contacts. He then went on to study the entirety of the Hogwarts curriculum. Though the subjects were simple to him, he devoted a lot of attention to three subjects: Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and Potions. The first one was more in the interest of being able to gauge how much power and knowledge he could exhibit without giving himself away. Potions was more of a necessity than anything else. Since Elves did not bother with it, he had to learn it from scratch. Fortunately, since Elves are creatures of magic, it was not as challenging as it would have been otherwise. History of Magic was more of an entertainment for him than anything.

Since humans did not live anywhere near as long as Elves, their history was filled with inaccuracies. Moreover, it was tainted with opinions and this lead to many humorous moments for Galdir. He laughed at the way that the authors tried to justify their lack of knowledge, and he found it very amusing how many details they either left out or were completely wrong. The only part that Galdir thought interesting was how the intervention of the Elves had remained a mystery throughout their history. He knew that Elves had followed a very strict protocol for interaction with humans, but he had always read the tales from their side. Moreover, Galdir was astounded at the nobility of some humans, as well as the arrogance of others. This was the first time that he read history from the eyes of the humans, and it was as amusing as it was interesting.

Galdir and Aglareth left for Diagon Alley early in the morning, leaving Canadion and Anuon behind to continue their surveillance over the Wizarding World. The Elves too were worried at Voldemort's lack of activity, but much less so than the humans. "Before we go, remember: if something happens that you are unsure of, ask me with your thoughts", said Galdir. Aglareth nodded and they left. Similarly to how Canadion and Anuon had powers of elements and time, Galdir was blessed with gifts as well. Galdir was what is known as an Absolute Occlumens and Legilimens. These skills were rare, even amongst Elves, and gave their users a very distinct advantage. The skill was the same as humans, except that Galdir's were immensely more powerful, and far more developed. Absolute Occlumency means that no one can enter the person's mind. No matter how powerful or how skilled. Absolute Legilimency is the opposite. No matter how strong the person, the Absolute Legilimens will always be able to read their thoughts. The results of an encounter between the two were unheard of, and Galdir had never encountered someone like him. He also possessed telekinesis, which proved invaluable to him during battle.

Upon arriving to Diagon Alley, Galdir and Aglareth stood there, far too shocked to speak.

While Elves had devoted themselves throughout the entirety of their lives to perfecting their arts and producing things of beauty, humans had just focused on growing. The shops were literally piled one on top of the other, and the street was nowhere wide enough to hold the apparent number of wizards that transited it. Everything seemed dirty and unorganized, and this shocked the two Elves. Walking through, Galdir's eyes surveyed everything

"How can they live like this?" asked Aglareth. Galdir quickly muttered a spell to ensure that they were not overheard. Though Modern Elvish was not understood by all creatures like Ancient Elvish or even Protean, it was still a risk to have humans listen to a tongue that was completely alien to them.

"They know no other way, Aglareth. Remember, the focus of humans is different from ours, and the result is what we see here", replied Galdir.

"But the shops… they are crammed and dirty and—"

"Yes. But that is the way they live. It is shocking for me as well, but remember that these are humans. They do not devote themselves to things as we do, and their lifespans are nowhere near as long as ours, limiting their advances, though not by much", continued Galdir. "Their lifespans may be short, but they can accomplish more than we can if the put their minds to it." Aglareth nodded, but was still shocked at the state of Diagon Alley.

"Anyway. First order of business is to get you a vault", said Aglareth.

"I am assuming you have a plan? The lack of currency in our world can be… potentially problematic", replied Galdir.

"Of course I do. I managed to get some funds ready to be transferred. Alternatively, we can always fall back on the treaty with the Goblins, but I would rather not inconvenience them with this. We just need to get the vault so they can be funnelled in. I believe the bank is called Gringotts." They continued to wander through Diagon Alley until they came up to the white marble front of Gringotts Bank.

"Such a change", commented Aglareth.

"We can attribute that to the goblins", replied Galdir.

"Goblins? How can you… oh!" Aglareth recognized the characteristic carvings on the marble that identified Goblin craft. They entered the bank and immediately headed towards a teller. Galdir cancelled the spell as they approached the Goblin, who was busy weighing rubies.

"Good morning. I would like to open a vault for my son", said Aglareth. The goblin continued its work, not even lifting its head. Aglareth's cheeks flushed with indignation. _How dare this Goblin ignore the Lady of the Noble House of Algarebel!_ she thought.

_Do you know how to speak Gobbledegook? _asked Galdir through his mind.

_Oh! Right. I forgot. _"Good Morning, noble sire. I am here to request a vault for my son", she repeated in Gobbledegook. The Goblin froze in place as the witch in front of him spoke in his own tongue. What is more, she spoke it fluently, a feat that is very rare amongst wizards. Eyeing them carefully, he opened his mouth, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth.

"Most certainly madam. If you would be so kind as to follow me, I will take you to my superior", he said as he stood up. Both Aglareth and Galdir bowed and followed the Goblin to a very elegant office. The chairs were made of the finest leather, and they sported complex ornaments made of gold. The manager motioned Galdir and Aglareth to seat, after they had exchanged bows.

"Good morning. I am Bakord, the resident manager here at Gringotts. I understand that you wish to open a vault with us madam?" he said. Aglareth nodded.

"My son here was just recently accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As a result, I find myself in need of providing him with the means to move in the Wizarding World. One of these means is money", explained Aglareth. The goblin eyed them carefully, focusing on their pointed ears. "You say he is your son, yet he does not look like you at all. His energy feels… different", said the goblin menacingly.

"You are very perceptive Bakord, and for that I commend you. Your observations are quite accurate. Lady Aglareth is not my mother, but rather my sister-in-law. As I am sure you have deduced already, we are not humans", said Galdir. Bakord sat motionless.

"It has been a thousand years since we heard of your kind. I thought that you had decided to abandon the humans forever", said Bakord.

"We did. However the circumstances are different, as I am sure you are well aware. I am here to infiltrate Hogwarts and assess the situation there. In order to have a convenient disguise, more than just my appearance is needed. Of course, we do ask for your complete discretion. None outside of this office may know who we really are", explained Galdir. Bakord's eyes met Galdir's, and the goblin was immediately overwhelmed by the aura of power that he projected.

"Of course. We goblins are still bound by the treaty that was made when we first appeared. I shall procure you with the most secure vault that Gringotts has to offer. Do you require money? As I recall, Elves do not have any form of currency", asked Bakord.

"Indeed we do not. However I have managed to secure funds for the vault, and are waiting to be transferred", said Aglareth as she passed a letter to Bakord.

After Bakord inspected the document carefully, he produced a small key from his drawer. "Everything appears to be in order. Rest assured that your powers will not conflict with the security measures at Gringotts. The vault is one that was used by your kind before, and as a result it carries significantly more powerful wards. It also requires a drop of blood to be activated", said Bakord. Galdir nodded and produced a sharp knife from his robes. He made a small cut on his palm, which he then preceded to place over the key. Three scarlet drops fell on its surface. The key glowed for a second and quivered for a second.

"The key is ready. Funds may be withdrawn at any time without access to the vault, though any items placed in there must be recovered in person. Is there anything else that I can do for you today?" asked the goblin.

"You are most kind, but that will be all. There are other business that we need to attend to before the day is over", said Galdir as he rose from his chair. Aglareth rose as well, followed by Bakord.

"I shall escort you out", said the goblin.

Just as they stepped outside of the office, Galdir noticed the entrance of Harry Potter. The girl next to him he assumed was Hermione, whereas the man standing behind was unknown to him. He smiled as he recognized the metamorphagus and made a quick scan to gather the basic information regarding who they were. Both Aglareth and Galdir identified was that the man was a werewolf. Ignoring it, Galdir thanked the goblin. After exchanging bows, they left Gringotts, leaving a gawking trio behind.

"Well, that went better than I expected. Though I did not expect him to recognize us so quickly", said Aglareth as soon as Galdir had restored the privacy spell.

"Indeed. After we disappeared from the world of men, they continued as if nothing was amiss, but there have been interactions between us, rare as they may have been. It was certainly a surprise. Not an unexpected one, but a surprise none the less.

"They definitely seemed surprised that we decided to show up personally. The first goblin nearly fell off his chair when I switched to Gobbledegook", said Aglareth with a smile.

"It was amusing to say the least. I suspect that their general attitude towards costumers is but a mere façade. After all, I imagine it would be quite trying to deal with the stupidity of the masses on a daily basis."

"True. Anyways, where to next?" asked Aglareth.

"I think a trunk would be in order. We shall leave the books and robes last", said Galdir.

"What about your Potions things?" asked Aglareth.

"We can get them in our world. The ingredients are the same, and the cauldron can be Elven made. We just have to ensure that there are no marks that can identify it as such."

The two Elven Lords entered Theo's Baggage, which was the only shop in Diagon Alley that sold bags and trunks. Similar to the overall decor of Diagon Alley, the shop was crammed to the ceiling with trunks, suitcases, and bags of all shapes and sizes. A young man sat at the counter, waving his wand at a trunk. "Good morning kind sir", said Aglareth. The young man looked up and quickly banished the trunk and fixed his appearance.

"Good morning to you! My name is Theodore, but you can call me Theo. What can I do for you today?" he asked.

"Well Theo, my son here is going to Hogwarts, and he needs a new trunk", explained Aglareth.

"Certainly madam. What kind of trunk would you like young man?" asked Theo.

"I need a trunk that has a concealed compartment with the same capacity as the principal trunk. A bottomless one would be nice", said Galdir.

"Those trunks are expensive. Only Aurors and such request things like that. Are you sure?" asked Theo.

"Completely. What do you have?" asked Galdir.

"Well, we have several models, depending on your preferred size", said Theo. Waving his wand, he summoned several trunks from the piles in the shop. The last trunk that he summoned was a sleek black model. Galdir was immediately drawn towards it.

"Something feels… different about this one", said Galdir. Theo's eyes sparkled.

"Very good young sir. This trunk is made out of a rare collection of woods that are naturally laden with magic. It has two compartments, and is bottomless. The design that you see over it is completely natural. The wood is reinforced with spells to ensure that it does not break and so that it lasts a long time. The lock is protected so it cannot be opened by anyone other than yourself", explained Theo.

"Excuse us for a minute, Theo. I believe that we will take this one, but let me consult with my mother", said Galdir.

Muttering quickly, Galdir threw a privacy charm.

"Did you feel it?" asked Galdir.

"Yes. It feels Elvish in nature, but I do not understand why", replied Aglareth.

"I think it is the wood that the trunk is made of. The pattern is very familiar to the trees that grow close to Aglaron, but then again, it could also belong to any Elvish region", said Galdir.

"It would explain the 'laden with magic' comment. All trees that grow close to us absorb the magic of the region. How did he come by it?" asked Aglareth.

"I am not sure. The wards that protect the Elvish lands are very strong, but it is also a fact that some of our magic has affected the surrounding areas, and that is where the wood came from. The magic is Elvish, but it is not particularly strong", said Galdir. Deciding to discuss it later, Galdir purchased the trunk and thanked Theo for his help.

"Let's get the worst over with", said Galdir as they headed towards Ollivander's.

The shop was as dirty and unorganized as ever. As soon as Galdir entered, an old man pounced on them, wand aimed at their hearts.

"Oh, you are not Death Eaters", said the old man in a wheezy voice. "Do you need your wand serviced?" asked Ollivander.

"No. I need to buy a wand", said Galdir. Ollivander eyed him carefully.

"I have never seen you before, yet you are old enough to have a wand. What is your name boy?"

"Galdir Aglaron. I used to have my mother's wand, but she decided that since I was going to Hogwarts, I should have my own", said Galdir.

"And your mother's wand is…?" asked Ollivander.

"His mother's wand is ancient, made by a wizard in northern Europe. I do not remember what it is made of", replied Aglareth. Ollivander stared at Aglareth.

"Adoptive mother I presume?" he asked.

"Yes. Now, about that wand", said Aglareth politely. Ollivander muttered something to himself and withdrew a measuring tape, which began to measure just about everything that could be measured in Galdir. He then started to take boxes and hand them to Galdir. Though he admitted that the old wand maker had skill, the wands felt alien in his hand. A while later, Ollivander had practically gone through his entire shop and had failed to find a wand that would fit Galdir. "No matter, no matter. I shall find you a wand. That I promise", said Ollivander. He then went to the back of the store and returned with a deep crimson box. Inside was redwood wand. "Redwood, 13 inches. The core is dragon heartstring. Highly unyielding", explained Ollivander. As soon as Galdir touched the wand, a huge surge of power exploded, destroying everything except wands.

"A rather violent reaction. Then again, given the core of the wand, it is not surprising", commented Ollivander.

"What do you mean?" asked Aglareth.

"The dragon, whose heartstring resides within that wand, was the oldest dragon that I have ever encountered. His magic was immense. I met him before he died, and humbly requested to use his heartstrings for wands. He agreed on one condition: I could only take one heartstring. He made me swear on my magic. The result is probably one of, if not the, most powerful wand that I have ever made", explained Ollivander. Galdir also requested a wand holster. Ollivander returned with one made of dragon hide, saying that the skin came from the same dragon whose heartstring was in the wand. After paying for their purchases, Aglareth and Galdir left, leaving a slightly bewildered Ollivander behind.

"What just happened?" asked Aglareth. "I have read about the wand selection process, but it is never this violent." Galdir was in a mild state of shock and did not reply immediately.

"It is him", whispered Galdir. A shadow of fear and grief passed over his eyes.

"Who? What?" asked Aglareth, confused.

"I knew the dragon that gave the heartstring", said Galdir.

"How? We do not have relations with the dragons. Do we?" asked Aglareth.

"Not as a whole. Few Elves have ever survived an encounter with a dragon, much less talked to one. They are the only magical creatures whose power rivals ours. They are also very quick to anger, and their code of conduct is very… complicated", replied Galdir.

"How do you know a dragon then?"

"It was a long time ago, back when I was still an apprentice. My master had purposefully sent me to an area that was crawling with dragons. They were all ruled by Gurgaranor, who at the time was the oldest dragon alive. He was immense, dwarfing every other dragon in the community, and the air around him was dense with magic. Long story short, I managed to befriend him. Before I left, his first born fell sick, and none of their knowledge of magic could heal him. The disease was generated by dark magic, though I do not know where it came from. Using all my knowledge, combined with the power of the dragons, I managed to heal Gurgaranor's son. As a symbol if his gratitude, he promised me that he would help me. He must have somehow known this would happen, hence why now I carry a wand with his heartstring", explained Galdir.

Aglareth was dumbstruck._ I knew that Galdir was a very accomplished elf, but this is ridiculous! Having met Gurgaranor?! Even I have heard of him! He is mention as the single most powerful dragon of the Sixth Age. How on earth did he manage to befriend him? And how could his master send him as an apprentice?! That is unheard of! _ What intrigued Aglareth the most was something that her sister had mentioned. Something that she had been sworn to never repeat. Galdir had nightmares at night, which was the reason why he never slept. What the nightmares were she did not know, but she began to wonder just how much he had to go through to obtain the power that he now to ignore this for now, she composed herself, and moved on to the next item in the list.

"Well, you really only need a pet, if you want one, robes, and books", said Aglareth.

"I do not want a pet, thank you very much", said Galdir. "Then let us go to Madame Malkin's so we can get you clothes that you can wear while in school", replied Aglareth with a smile. She knew that Galdir was opposed to pets, but still decided to ask him. _He is so self-contained that it is really difficult to get a reaction from him. I wonder how my sister managed to get him to open up_, thought Aglareth. They entered Madame Malkin's; encountering a young boy whose hair was almost as white as Aglareth's skin. Madame Malkin, who was currently attending the boy, excused herself for a second and approached the two Elves.

"How may I help you today dear?" she asked.

"I need school robes Madam. I am starting Hogwarts this year and I find myself in the need of the proper school attire", responded Galdir, giving her a warm smile.

"Certainly my dear. Why don't you have a seat and I will get to you as soon as I am done", she said, returning to the boy she was attending.

Draco Malfoy's grey eyes fixed themselves on Galdir and Aglareth.

"Starting Hogwarts this year? I did not think that they allowed transfers. Dumbledore must be getting very desperate if he is allowing anyone in nowadays", said Draco with a sneer. Galdir did not say anything, and merely sat down to wait for Madame Malkin.

"Draco, please be nice", said Narcissa Malfoy.

"No Mother! Why should I have to be with students like that?! Look at him! He is a freak! He must be a half-breed and—" Draco never got to finish his tantrum. Galdir immediately stood up. His eyes sparkled with fury as they slowly constricted into slits.

"Draco Malfoy is it?" growled Galdir. All colour drained from Draco's face, making him even paler. "If you are so concerned by the quality of the people attending Hogwarts _Draco_, you would begin by removing yourself from it. I cannot imagine it would be beneficial to Hogwarts to house sons of Death Eaters. Especially the son of Lucius Malfoy." Draco's eyes bulged with anger at the comment.

"Why you little—" Galdir drew his wand from the concealed holster in his arm and pointed it at Malfoy. "They say that all magical children carry a trace, yet I was told I do not have it. Shall we test that?" asked Galdir in a menacing tone.

"Y-You c-can't. Y-You'll b-be expelled", said Malfoy, trembling in fear.

"Try me, I beg you. Make my day", replied Galdir.

"Galdir! That is enough!" She had initially thought that Galdir would just intimidate the boy. The second that he drew his wand, the entire atmosphere changed. The room darkened, and the temperature dropped. Had anyone been paying close attention, they would have noticed a very pale glow emanating from within Galdir's robes. The way that Galdir was acting was all too reminiscent of the fight with Duvainor, and Aglareth decided to stop Galdir before he did something that he would regret.

Galdir's eyes left Draco's and focused on Madame Malkin and Narcissa. He withdrew his wand, and immediately the room returned to its usual ambience.

"My apologies Madame Malkin. I should not have reacted that way. My apologies to you as well, Mrs Malfoy", said Galdir with a short bow. He then returned to his seat and patiently waited for Draco to finish. Draco's stunned state did not last long, and was immediately replaced with anger. But, being no stupid child, Draco did not further confront Galdir. Instead, his focus shifted to Madame Malkin. It was at this time that Harry Potter, followed by Hermione Granger, the werewolf and the metamorphagus entered the room.


	11. New Friends

**X. New Friends**

"A pleasure" said Harry, awkwardly returning the bow that Galdir had given them. He was promptly followed by Hermione, Remus, and Tonks. Aglareth also gave a short bow after her introduction.

"Would you like to come up now dear?" asked Madam Malkin. Galdir smiled at her and allowed himself to be placed in front of the mirrors. "Now these are the standard set of robes that all students have, but I also have them in different materials. Do you have any preferences?" asked Madam Malkin.

"If you have them in silk that would be marvellous. If you do not, then cotton will do just fine", replied Galdir pleasantly. Madam Malkin quickly went to the back to find the requested robes.

"How come your robes don't have a shield? Aren't you old enough to have a house already?" Remus glared at Hermione at the way that she had asked.

"Quite perceptive Hermione. This happens to be my first year at Hogwarts, and as such I have not been sorted yet", replied Galdir.

"Are you transferring from somewhere?" asked Harry.

"No. My mother home schooled me for all these years. However, she decided that perhaps I would benefit from a different instructor, as well as from being with others that are my own age", said Galdir.

"Home schooled? Really? And what did you learn? Have you learned the same things that we did? Did you learn anything different? How are they going to place you? What—"

"Calm down Hermione, let the poor guy at least answer one question before you bombard him with thirty more", said Harry with a smile. Hermione blushed at the comment.

"Let's see if I can answer the questions in order. Yes, I was home schooled. Yes, really. I learned pretty much the same things that you did, though perhaps in a different order. Some things may be different, particularly in the approach, as well as there could be some spells that I know that you do not. As for the placement, I believe that I will have to take exams at the start to ensure that I have all the necessary knowledge to participate and successfully complete it." After taking a quick breath, Galdir counted the questions and the number of answers. "I believe that is all of them. Did I forget anything?" he asked with a smirk. Hermione turned crimson, and nodded shyly.

"What classes are you going to be taking Galdir?" asked Harry.

"Charms, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, and Runes. I am still debating as to whether I want to take Magical Creatures as well", replied Galdir.

"Well you are going to be in all of our classes!" said Harry with a smile.

"Excellent! At least I will not be alone. It is kind of intimidating to walk into a class and not know anyone in the room", replied Galdir. Aglareth turned from her conversation with Remus after hearing this.

_So facing dragons and Heaven knows what else is fine, but facing a bunch of teenagers is terrifying?_ she thought.

_No, but appearances must be kept_, replied Galdir with is mind, while giving her a wink. Aglareth shook her head and resumed her conversation with Remus.

"Here we are. Sorry about the delay, but it took me a while to find these in the back", said Madam Malkin as she hustled back.

"That is quite alright Madam. I am in absolutely no hurry", said Galdir. She proceeded to give Galdir his new robes which he tried on immediately. Hermione's jaw went slack with awe. _How can somebody look good in these robes? I thought it wasn't possible!_ She thought. Galdir smiled when he heard it, but made no comment. Though he tried not to hear other people's thoughts, it was difficult, especially when there were so many people that had no training in Occlumency. _It is such a racket in here. How can they not know Occlumency? At least with those I can ignore easily. And how come Harry does not have any barriers. One would expect that with all __that he has been through, someone would have thought to teach him Occlumency. Well, that is something that we will have to look at later_, thought Galdir. After examining himself in the mirror, he nodded and took the robes off. "These will do just fine Madam. Do you have a couple more, along with the rest of the things that I need for school?" he asked. Madam Malkin nodded and summoned the rest of the items.

"So Harry, what can you tell me about Hogwarts? Anyone who I should avoid, other than the pompous prince that was here earlier?" asked Galdir.

"Well, there's Malfoy and his squad of goons: Crabbe and Goyle. There is also Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode who are not at all nice. Other than that, everybody else is alright", said Harry.

"Do these people have anything in common? It sounds like they do", said Galdir.

"They are all in Slytherin", replied Hermione. Galdir proceeded to pay for his things, and Madam Malkin turned towards the trio. "Oh, Harry needs new robes Madam Malkin. Something more flattering is in order I believe", said Hermione. Harry instantly went crimson, while Galdir and Remus broke in laughter. Madam Malkin and Aglareth smiled sympathetically at him.

"Really? I would have thought that they were in another house, though which one is beyond me. They really do not reflect the teachings of Salazar, that's for sure", said Galdir.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry as Madam Malkin proceeded to take his measurements.

"Well, as far as I understand it, Slytherins are supposed to be very cunning and ambitious. Though this may lead towards the acquisition of greater power, it is not necessarily the case. That ponce did not show any of these attributes at all. Salazar would probably have a fit if he knew that such petulance was in his House", explained Galdir.

"You talk as if you have read a lot about him", said Hermione.

"Well, my ancestors knew the Great Four as they were known, and I have read some of their memoirs, so I guess I have", said Galdir casually. Hermione's eyes bulged at the mention of knowledge that she did not have.

"Your ancestors knew the founders? You are so lucky to have those notes. Do you think I could read them?" asked Hermione like a five year old would ask to have candy. Galdir chuckled.

"I am sorry Hermione, but these are prized family heirlooms that I cannot give. Do not worry. I have also read 'Hogwarts: A History' and their accounts are very similar to the notes that I have. Mine just focus more on the personalities of the founders, as opposed to what they did", replied Galdir. Hermione's face fell a bit at this, but she lightened up when she found that her favourite book contained essentially the same information. Madam Malkin finished fitting Harry and turned around to get Hermione's opinion.

"Much better", she replied. "See Harry? It actually shows off your… attributes", said Hermione. Remus almost hit the floor in laughter, and Galdir made his best effort not to join him. Harry's face almost matched the colour of a certain Weasley, and it would definitely make them proud to see him sporting that particular shade.

After they had paid for the purchases, the group left Madam Malkin's and headed towards Flourish and Blotts to get their books. Along the way, they came across two girls, with their parents in tow. The way they were dressed denoted an aristocratic status, along with the way they walked. The man who Harry assumed was the father was tall, with dark brown hair. His skin was a healthy white, and his eyes shone a vibrant blue. His overall stance and attitude denoted someone of high rank, perhaps a politician of some sort. He was intimidating to say the least, and his scowl told that he was not to be trifled with. His wife wore a similar expression, but it was offset by her beauty, which was enhanced by her blonde hair and her light blue eyes. The two girls were literally copies of one another, save that the younger one had darker hair. The oldest girl had dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Harry was immediately captured by them. Though her face was a mask of complete indifference, her eyes told a different story. There was solitude, as well as sadness. All this drew Harry in, until he caught himself and quickly turned the other way. After the family had passed them, Galdir turned to Hermione.

"Who was that remarkable girl Hermione?" he asked. Of course, he had absolutely no interest in the girl, but having heard Harry's thoughts, he decided to spare him the embarrassment of asking the question himself. Harry gave him a quick nod of gratitude as he was spared from the drama that would have resulted had he asked the same question.

"That is Daphne Greengrass, also known as the Slytherin Ice Queen, and the girl next to her was her sister Astoria", replied Hermione. "Are you interested?" she asked. Galdir shook his head.

"No. I was merely curious. She seemed of age to be at Hogwarts, and I wanted to see if you knew her", said Galdir. Aglareth gave him a curious look, but refrained from asking him anything directly. At the entrance of Flourish and Blotts they encountered the rest of the Weasleys.

"Who is that Harry?" asked Ginny. The second that Ginny had laid eyes on Harry, she immediately returned to the girl that Harry was so familiar with: a very shy little girl that would blush a very bright crimson when she saw him. Galdir arched an eyebrow at her attitude towards him.

_It seems that you may have to fend girls off while at Hogwarts Galdir_, thought Aglareth.

_It would certainly seem that way. I guess I did not factor the impact that our… physical appearance would have on members of the opposite sex_, replied Galdir.

"This is Galdir Aglaron, and his mother Aglareth Algarebel", said Harry. "Did I pronounce your names properly?" he asked them. Galdir nodded with a smile.

"And who might you be young lady?" asked Galdir.

"G-Ginny W-Weasley", she stuttered.

"Ginny… short for Ginevra I believe?" asked Galdir.

"N-Nobody calls me like that…", she mumbled.

"And why would I call you any different? The same case applies to Nymphadora. I will not tarnish the inherent beauty of your names merely because some people are ignorant enough to not fully appreciate it. You both seem to be extraordinary women. Not only that, but you are both beautiful to say the least, and anyone who tried to deny this must be out of their mind", replied Galdir. Try as hard as she could, Tonks could not bring herself to get angry at the young man. She could not even muster a glare.

Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Tonks had been ostracized thanks to her abilities as a metamorphagus. Boys would often harass her, demanding that she changed into some form that amused them. When puberty hit, her name was transformed into an insult. A curse. Although Galdir was correct in saying that the nymphs were considered beings of extreme beauty, they were also associated with sexual frivolity. As a result, she was always thought of as a 'slag' as they called her. She did not have any friends in Hogwarts, and so she elected to dive into her studies, which lead to her being the youngest Auror to enter the Academy. Peaking the interest of Moody, he had taken her as a disciple, and was later inducted into the Order of the Phoenix. Yet, in spite of all her achievements, never had she met someone that would try to approach her with the sole purpose of getting to know the real woman, not the metamorphagus. This held true until she met Remus. Being an outcast just like her, there was an instant connection between them. In time, she found herself falling for him, in spite of the age difference between them. Yes, he also had his own fair share of problems, but he had never judged her, nor had he treated her as anything less than the most precious woman on the face of the earth. Thanks to him, she had slowly begun to get over the demons of her past that haunted her. This young man, who had never met her, who knew nothing more of her than what was commonly known, was the first man to use her name in a good way. Not only that, but he had compared her in beauty to the nymphs after which she was named. As she watched Galdir speak to Ginny, she could only count her blessings, as she had not only found Remus, but she was also surrounded by people who cared for her for who she was. _Perhaps it's time to get rid of that habit_, she thought.

Ginny's story, albeit different in setting, was remarkably similar to Nymphadora's. She was the youngest of a group of 7 brothers, and she was the only female in the house aside from her mother. From early age, her older brothers had taken upon themselves to care for her as more than just brothers. Added on to this was the mothering style of Mrs Weasley. Although she definitely meant well, she did tend to be overbearing at times, and overprotective. This created a very shy aspect to Ginny, one that was scared of the unknown. Being surrounded by people also gave her a fear of solitude that was directly linked to her fear of not knowing. The constant interaction with her male brothers, especially with the twins and the oldest two, accounted for the tomboyish attitude that she had for the early years of her teens. If we also factor the fact that she was a late bloomer, then we end with her not really thinking of herself as a woman. The only reference that she had was Mrs Weasley, and while she provided her with the idea of what a housewife was, it did not meant that this idea appealed to Ginny in the slightest.

The events of her first year did absolutely nothing to help her confidence. Although she felt almost normal, there were still nights in which she could still hear the whispers of Riddle's charming voice, followed by the cold and horror that she felt as her life was drained away so that the memory of a boy long gone would return. The only thing that kept all of this relatively at bay was her crush on Harry. Or rather, the crush that she had on the Boy Who Lived. She had never made the effort to truly get to know Harry, and conversations with Hermione had eventually led her to the conclusion that she really did not have a crush on Harry the boy, but rather on his legend. After she had made her peace with this, she had begun to overcompensate her shyness by being more forward, the result of this was her being the date of Neville Longbottom for the Yule Ball. This also resulted in the numerous boyfriends that she had since then. But none of them had made her feel special. Not one of them had been interested in getting to know her to a point in which she would even consider condoning the use of her full name. The words that Galdir spoke rang true in her heart, and she began considering that, perhaps, she should consider reassessing her current path.

"What a charming young man", commented Mrs Weasley.

"Indeed. It is not often that one meets a person such as yourself", said Mr Weasley.

"Thank you. I do not believe we have been introduced", said Galdir.

"My bad. Galdir, this are Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ginny's parents, and those two are Fred and George. I've honestly given up trying to figure out which one is which", said Harry.

"A pleasure. Now, I believe that we are all here to get our books?" asked Galdir. After he received nods all around, he opened the door with a flourish and motioned them in. The twins said that they were going to check some things in the shop and would meet them for dinner.

As soon as all their purchases were complete, they exited the book store and continued to walk down the Alley.

"Harry, are you ready for your birthday dinner?" asked Remus.

"I believe so Moony. I don't think that I could go to another store without some food", said Harry with a smile. They started heading to the Leaky Cauldron when they ran into Neville.

"Hullo Harry! How are you? How was your summer?" asked Neville.

"Hey Neville. It was pretty good. Yours?" asked Harry.

"It was excellent! My gran built me a greenhouse where I could keep my collection of plants. You have no idea how much some of them have grown!", said Neville.

Hermione was rendered speechless when she saw Neville. He had changed a lot over the summer. It seemed that he was finally losing the baby fat that he had held on to and was finally becoming the man that he was meant to be: strong and powerful, but at the same time shy and gentle. Her entire brain simply descended into a haze when she noticed all of this. _Who is this boy and what has he done to Neville?_ She thought. She shook her head and greeted Neville as well. She felt a slight tingle when their bodies touched, but it was such a brief thing that it might as well never had happened. All of this was not unnoticed by Galdir, who simply smiled, but kept his thoughts to himself.

"Neville, this is Galdir Aglaron and his mother, Aglareth Algarebel. Galdir, Aglareth; Neville Longbottom", said Harry.

"A strong name", said Galdir.

"Indeed. Certainly fits the man that stands before me. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance", said Aglareth with her customary bow. Neville, being versed in the arts of being a pureblood scion, returned the bow immediately.

"I would also like to present my grandmother: Lady Augusta Longbottom", said Neville as he motioned to the older woman that stood behind him.

"Milady. It is an honour to meet the Head of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Longbottom", said Aglareth with a bow. "Allow me to properly introduce myself: Lady Aglareth Algarebel of the House of Algarebel and this is my son: Galdir Aglaron of the House of Aglaron." Several jaws dropped at the mention of their titles.

"I did not know that you were…", said Hermione.

"Of an Ancient House? I generally do not divulge it, and would prefer it to remain that way. I only use the title when the situation demands it", said Galdir.

"A very wise decision, Master Galdir. Yet, if I may, you do not seem to be related", said Augusta.

"Indeed Lady Longbottom. Galdir is my adopted son. He is actually the last son of the House of Aglaron, and so he is the scion of the House until he comes of age", replied Aglareth.

"That certainly explains his manners", commented Mrs Weasley.

"Now forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard of either of your houses", said Arthur Weasley.

"I am not surprised at all Mr Weasley. Our Houses are not native to England, and are very secretive about it. Nowhere but in our own land will you find any record of either of our lines", said Aglareth.

"So Neville, we were just heading to celebrate Harry's birthday. Would you like to come?" asked Hermione.

"I don't think I should…"

"Nonsense Neville. You are my friend, and I what better way of spending my birthday than with the people that I care for?" said Harry. Neville nodded and said quickly whispered a good-bye to his gran. Both Galdir and Aglareth bowed and started to head towards the Apparition point.

"Where are you going Galdir?" asked Harry.

"I could not possibly impose in such a special occasion Harry", said Galdir.

"Then it's a good thing that you aren't. Come on, I'm hungry!" said Harry. Galdir smiled and nodded to Aglareth, who just gave him a small smile and disappeared with his purchases.

The birthday dinner was a quiet affair, save of course for the roars of laughter that occurred whenever the twins decided to inject a bit of fun into the celebration. Overall, it was easily one of the best birthdays that Harry had ever had. He had spent it with the people that he considered his family, and he had also met someone with whom he was fast becoming friends. Throughout the festivities, only Galdir noticed the uninterrupted gaze from a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes that was also having dinner with her parents in a nearby booth.

* * *

It was the evening of August 1st, and Lord Voldemort paced in the main hall. Behind him, attempting to rein their fear stood nine of the ten Death Eaters that had been personally handpicked by Voldemort himself for the raid to Azkaban. He expected Bedrager to arrive at any second, seeing as how he preferred to show up at night, and the sun had just set behind the hills that surrounded Riddle Manor. He had told the Death Eaters the general idea for the plan, since he did not know more details himself. Even the plan that he had provided Bedrager was a sketch of how he was planning on doing it. Of course, being a powerful and feared wizard had its advantages. He had mostly planned on personally storming Azkaban himself in a massive showcase of supremacy and power. That was until Bedrager informed him that _he_ would lead the attack and that he wanted a team of ten ready to train a week before the attack happened. Though he understood the need for training in order to be more efficient, he also thought that it was a waste of time. A hooded figure drew him from his thoughts as it silently approached the gates of the manor.

At her request, Bellatrix Lestrange stood comfortably waiting for Bedrager's arrival. Ever since his last visit, Bellatrix found herself inexorably drawn to the man. She found his mere presence intoxicating, and the aura of power that he projected was irresistible to her. Not even her current master could make her feel that way. This had not gone unnoticed by her husband and her brother, but they elected to leave her be. They knew how Azkaban had twisted her, and they knew of her lust for power. The way that Rabastan and Rodolphus had it figured, if Bedrager planned to overthrow Voldemort, they could quickly switch alliances along with her. She felt her heart quicken as Bedrager approached the gates of Riddle Manor. Before she could act, he lazily waved his hand and the iron gates creaked open.

"Bellatrix Lestrange. What a pleasure to see you tonight my dear. Might I say that you are looking ravishing this evening?" said Bedrager in a silky tone. Had Bellatrix been paying more attention, she would have noticed that his eyes glinted with malice in the moonlight. This would have happened, had her body not decided to shiver in pleasure.

"Welcome, Lord Bedrager. I am to accompany you to the main hall, where the Dark Lord is waiting for you", responded Bellatrix, her eyes staring hungrily at Bedrager, begging him to remove his cloak. With a small smile, Bedrager decided to tease her a bit more, and simply removed the hood of his cloak. His dark hair cascaded from his head, and his eyes shown even more fiercely.

"I could not have asked for a better escort Bella, if I may call you that?" Bellatrix nodded dumbly.

"Excellent! Let us then go to the main hall. I do not believe it polite to keep Lord Voldemort waiting", he said as he extended his arm towards her. Bellatrix seemed to melt into his side as she clutched his arm tightly. Bedrager smiled and they proceeded to walk towards the manor.

With a simple stare, the doors opened, and Bedrager strolled with Bellatrix in hand to meet Lord Voldemort. Bellatrix reluctantly relinquished her hold on Bedrager's arm and joined the rest.

"Good evening Lord Voldemort", said Bedrager as he bowed. Voldemort returned the bow and gestured towards the Death Eaters behind him.

"Good evening Bedrager. As you requested, ten Death Eaters join us today awaiting your training", said Voldemort. Bedrager casually removed his cloak, which caused Bellatrix to draw breath quickly. He was clad in what appeared to be some form of armour, but it was by far more form fitting than anything that they had ever seen. The metallic surface shone brightly in the light, showing the intricate patterns etched on it. Bedrager's hand casually fell to the pommel of his sword, which hung from his belt. After reorganizing his cloak, he placed it over his shoulders, letting it drop over his back like a cape.

"Very well. Let us see what we have to work with. You are to stand in line and display your wands. NOW!" he barked. The Death Eaters immediately organized themselves as instructed and took out their wands.

Bedrager carefully inspected each one of them, taking note of their physical appearance, stance, and wand. Once he was done, he turned to face Voldemort, who stood anxiously waiting for his verdict. "Not what I expected, but not as bad as it could have been. They will definitely need some work before we are to proceed, but it is doable. Now, is there a place where we can train?" asked Bedrager. Voldemort nodded and beckoned Bedrager to follow him. He showed him a spacious room that he had prepared for training. After surveying it carefully, Bedrager nodded satisfactorily.

"Excellent choice of charms to protect the room, Voldemort. Yes, this will do fine", he said. Voldemort nodded softly. "Well, there is much to be done, and we only have six days to prepare. Death Eaters, FRONT AND CENTRE!" The ten shuffled quickly and assembled themselves before Bedrager. "One more thing Voldemort. Your Potions Master, Severus Snape, is he available?"

"I will summon him here for you", replied Voldemort. He rolled his sleeve to display his Dark Mark and pressed it with the tip of his wand. Snape immediately appeared next to him.

"You called, my Lord?" he asked in a silky voice.

"Yes, Severus. You are to do everything that Bedrager requires you to do, and you are to address him with the same respect as you would address me. Cross him in any way and you will quickly find that I am a more merciful Lord. Understood?" Snape nodded.

"Thank you Voldemort. I will take it from here", said Bedrager. With a flick of his wrist, the door closed, leaving him alone with the eleven Death Eaters. Out of all of them, the only one that seemed to be at ease was Bellatrix. Rabastan and Rodolphus were more scared than she was, but by far more relaxed than the rest of them. "Before I reveal my plan, I have to ensure that you can execute it. That is what we will be doing for the next four to five days. On the sixth day, we will rest and do any last minute preparations. Severus, you are to prepare the potions on this list and in the specified quantities. Some of them you may need to brew more than once, depending on the demand. Any questions?"

"If I may, Be—"

"I was not aware that I gave any of you permission to be familiar with me. Only Voldemort may call be Bedrager. It is Lord Bedrager to the rest of you. Make that mistake again and you will regret ever opening your mouths are we clear?" he spat venomously. All Death Eaters shrank in fear under his gaze.

"My apologies my Lord. I was just wondering what kind of preparations you will have us do?" asked the Death Eater.

"What is your name?" asked Bedrager as he walked in front of the man.

"Amycus Carrow my Lord", he replied.

"Very well, Amycus. _Crucio._" The room was filled with screams of pain as Amycus collapsed into a heap and started convulsing. After a minute had passed, Bedrager lifted the spell. "Severus, do you have a Strength Potion?" asked Bedrager. Severus nodded and immediately moved to administer the draught. "Does anyone else have any questions?" Everyone shook their head. "Excellent. Let us begin then." He gave Snape the list of potions and excused him, while he began to wave his hands and started to conjure all manner of objects designed for training or torturing, depending on your point of view.

Over the next five days, the Death Eaters realized that they had severely misjudged Voldemort's previous training regime. That was easy compared to what Bedrager had in store for them. He drove them to the point of physical, mental, and magical exhaustion every single session. They would have all probably died, had it not been for Snape's potions and Bedrager's healing spells. Every time that they did something incorrectly, they were tortured by some new spell that made the Cruciatus seem like a Tickle Charm. Although Bedrager was merciless in his training, they also found that he was by far kinder with his rewards, and actually gave them what he promised. They also quickly noticed that he did not treat them with disdain, like they were disposable pieces of meat. Of course, none of them doubted his position of authority and power, but they were treated fairly. His rules were perfectly clear, though many times they were unspoken, since he assumed a minimal level of logic from them. If they broke the rules, they suffered, but if they abided by them, no harm ever came and they were at times rewarded. They were little things: a new wand holster with Anti-Summoning Charms, a new cloak with Disillusionment Charms woven in, or new handles for their wands made of dragon hide or similar materials. They also received daily doses of a spell similar to Voldemort's that drastically increased their stamina and power. By the end of their regime, though they were fairly tired, they all harboured an intense respect and sense of admiration for the man, accompanied with a deep hatred for Voldemort.

"Excellent. You have all done marvellously over the last couple of days", said Bedrager. "Though we had some minor setbacks, all of you have performed admirably, and for that I commend you. It has now been five days since we started training, and the group that is standing before me is more than capable of doing anything that I say, unlike the ones that stood before me not five days ago. You may all take the rest of the day off to recover and rest. Tomorrow morning I shall detail my plan, and we will execute it after sunset. Are we clear?" Everyone nodded. "Very well. Off you go." Only Bellatrix remained after the group had left.

"And what can I do for you Bella?" asked Bedrager with a smile. "Nothing my Lord. I just wished to thank you for what you have done for me. I definitely would not be where I am now were it not for you", said Bellatrix. Throughout the training regime, she had barely been able to take her eyes off Bedrager. She marvelled at the way his muscles flexed through his armour whenever he demonstrated a new move, or at the wonderful magic that he produced. She awed at the cries of pain of his victims, and she shivered at the memory of the punishments that he had given her. Granted, in her own twisted mind, the more pain the better, but she had quickly found that Bedrager's curses produced more pain than even her could manage. This had only increased her admiration and hunger for him. Bedrager smiled at her and nodded, dismissing her.

Shortly after Bellatrix had left, Voldemort entered the training room, his cloak billowing in his wake.

"I hear you are quite the trainer, Bedrager. The rest of my Death Eaters had nightmares all week from the screams of pain that came from this room." Bedrager chuckled at the comment.

"Did they? Well, hopefully things will go smoother next time. I must say I am very pleased with the results attained by this group. I have high hopes for them", said Bedrager as he walked towards a nearby window. "They definitely feel stronger than they were before they entered the room", commented Voldemort.

"A side-effect of training. I would not worry too much about it Voldemort. You are still more powerful than they are", assured Bedrager. Satisfied with his answer, Voldemort left the room. _What a fool_, thought Bedrager. He noticed the temperature of the room drop noticeably, and his breath fogged the window.

"Best not forget that he is a useful fool", said a cold voice from the shadows. Bedrager turned around and quickly dropped to his knees, his head bowed.

"You honour me with your presence Master. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"You are doing enough. All is going according to my plan, is it not?" asked the voice.

"Yes. The seeds have been sown. It may take a while for them to yield their fruit, but I am confident that we will see results by the end of this stage, if not sooner", said Bedrager.

"Excellent. Once stage one is complete, we can move on to more… interesting things. Keep an eye on the one called Snape. I do not trust him, and neither should you", replied the voice. Bedrager nodded.

"You believe your guess to be true then?"

"I am almost positive of it. Make sure to never reveal anything of importance in his presence until I command you to. He is far more valuable like this now."

"I will make sure of it my Master."

"Good. And what of that woman? She seems infatuated by you."

"It is my façade. She is drawn to power, and so she is drawn to me. I believe that she will play a key part in your plans Master", explained Bedrager.

"Make sure you do not lose sight of your objective. Your last slip almost cost me dearly", said the voice cruelly. Bedrager shivered in fear as he remembered the punishment.

"I have not forgotten Master. I can assure you it will not happen again."

"It better not. Things are in motion that are not easily stopped, and any failure will cost you more than it will cost me", said the voice.

"I understand Master", replied Bedrager.

"Good. Continue as planned. I shall expect to see you after the success of your mission."

"I will, my Master." The room immediately became warmer, and Bedrager rose from his kneeling position and returned to the window.


	12. Interlude of Dreams

**XI. Interlude of Dreams**

After all had left from the celebration, Harry and Hermione were left alone with Remus and Tonks.

"What do you think of our new friend?" asked Harry.

"He seems like a nice person. There's something else about him though, almost like he's…"

"Hiding something?" asked Harry.

"Yes… I don't really know how to describe it. He felt, different somehow, which makes little sense since he is a boy just like us", she replied.

"I didn't really feel anything. He seems to be nice enough. I think that he could become a good friend, if we give him the chance."  
"I get that feeling to. Anyways, now that we are alone, I wanted to give you this", she said as she withdrew a package from her robes. "Happy Birthday Harry", she said softly.

Harry smiled at her as he gently took the package in his hands. Slowly ripping he paper it was wrapped in, he uncovered a small wooden box. The contents of it took his breath away, and he felt a warm feeling spread from his chest. Inside the box was a figurine made of silver. Standing proudly on a silvery plane of grass, stood a stag. To his right was a large Grim, and to his left was a wolf. In front of them was a single exquisite flower: a lily. Words failed Harry. It was the most beautiful gift that anyone could have given him, on par with the album that Hagrid had given him and the Firebolt he had received from Sirius.

"T-Thank you", he whispered softly. Hermione lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

"You're welcome Harry", she said in reply.

* * *

Later that night, Harry walked the silent halls of Grimmauld Place. He missed the Burrow's openness. He could walk outside, feel the soft night breeze sift through his hair and kiss his cheeks. He missed being able to watch the fading stars at dawn. It gave him a rare sense of peace that he seldom had in his life. It was as if he could see the smiling faces of his parents looking down at him, expressing their love for their only child. He sometimes imagined the moon being his godfather's smile after he had done something mischievous. But far from filling him with sorrow, it filled him with love and hope. He almost felt like he was not alone those nights. Almost. The walks with Hedwig were primarily for the purpose of reviewing the material that he was covering with Hermione and helping with the previous things, but there were times in which they simply walked in companionable silence. It allowed Harry the time to think about his feelings and, if he should want to, share them with someone who knew him better than he knew himself.

So it was that as he approached the library, he saw Hedwig swoop in from an open window and change. As soon as they both entered the library, Harry closed the door and sat down on a nearby chair, slowly rubbing his temples.

"What is it Harry?" asked Hedwig.

"I don't know. I have this feeling that I can't really explain. It's been bugging me since Diagon Alley", he replied.

"Something about the new boy you met? Galdir, was it?" she asked.

"Yes. Well, partly. He seems like a really good guy, and definitely seems trustworthy…"

"Are you considering him as a third member of your little group?"

"More like a fourth. Neville is going to join us first. I really should have included him more in the past. He is such a good friend. So much better than _him_", he said bitterly.

"It does you no good to dwell in the past. In a way, perhaps it is a good thing that it happened. You may gain an even better friend in Neville. Possibly even something like a brother."

"That's just it Hedwig. There's just so much happening. So many good things…" his voice trailed off.

"And you think that something bad will happen?"

"I just can't shake the feeling that it will all be taken away. Just like my parents and Sirius. Who's to say Voldemort won't come along and take them from me? I just got something that I never had before Hedwig. I can't lose it… I am not strong enough…" his eyes began to fill with tears.

"Harry. You are a good person to whom bad things have happened to. But that does not mean that all in your life is gloom and sorrow. Good things are bound to happen Harry, and you shouldn't spend your time wondering whether they will end and not enjoy them. Enjoy life Harry. That is what Sirius would have wanted. Not for you to live in a prison of fear. Live Harry. Give yourself the chance to feel. To love and to be loved", she said softly.

Harry stared into space as he contemplated the words that she had told him. He knew she was right. The quip that Sirius had left in his letter about the bed was proof enough of this. Granted, the style was far too forward for Harry, but then again, it was Sirius who had written that letter. He reflected on the one pitiful attempt that he had of a relationship. Yes, Cho was very pretty and attractive, but he did not love her. Upon retrospective, he realized one very important thing: the only reason why they had even gone out was because they both shared only one thing in common: the death of Cedric Diggory. Cho had gone with Harry in a misguided attempt to be closer to her deceased boyfriend, and Harry had gone with her out of his 'saving people thing', as Hermione called it. He had felt bad for her, and had believed that somehow Cedric's death was his fault. Of course, he knew better now, but at the time he was drowning in his grief and self-loathing and he had been too blind to realize this. _Maybe she is right_, he thought. _Maybe I should try dating_. With those thoughts, he bid her a good night and retreated to his warm bed as he slowly felt his eyelids dropping from exhaustion. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Harry appeared in a forest meadow, surrounded by a wall of trees almost as thick as the Forbidden Forest. He realized that he was barefoot, and that the grass beneath him was soft. Almost impossibly so. He looked at the sky and saw its usual blue hue tainted with aureate tones. The light gave the illusion that the trees were crafted of a gold of such beauty that goblins would kill to get their hands on them. Turning his gaze downwards, he saw a pool of icy blue water that shimmered in the ethereal light. He walked closer and kneeled next to it. Leaning in, he was startled at what he saw. Instead of his reflection, there was a pair of eyes looking straight back at him. Being the same shade as the water that surrounded them, they seemed to simply fade into the water, giving them an eerie look. Harry was so entranced by the intensity behind those eyes that he did not notice as the light faded into shadow. A shiver descended his spine and broke Harry from his trance. The forest that had once surrounded him turned into a barren wasteland covered in a bone-white powder. Harry frantically turned his gaze back to the pool of water, and he felt cold fear grip his heart as a red liquid slowly seeped in. It was blood, he realized. The eyes suddenly constricted into snake-like slits as crimson surrounded them. A cruel laugh was heard in the distance.

_You are a fool, Harry Potter; and you will lose everything_, said the cold voice of Lord Voldemort. Tears stinging his eyes, Harry raised his eyes from the pools and was faced with the ruins of Hogwarts castle. The river of crimson came from the seemingly endless field of corpses that was amidst the rubble. Harry tried desperately to wake up but not before he saw the two nearest ones. Hermione and Hedwig stared at him with cold, lifeless eyes, a shadow of fear still noticeable…

Harry woke with a scream caught in his throat. His chest was covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat and he was panting heavily. His eyes frantically sought the pale figure of Hedwig, who had returned to her snowy owl form and was perched happily sleeping. Attempting to slow down his frantic heartbeat, Harry rose as quietly as he could from his bed and headed for Hermione's room. He silently opened the door and ensured that she was still asleep in her bed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry headed back to his room. _It was just a dream_, he thought. _Just a dream…_

* * *

Bedrager smiled cruelly as he stood near a shaft bathed in the silver moonlight. His mind shifted from the success of his assignment as he assessed his current surroundings. He wished his master would pick a better place to live, but this was the Hall of his ancestors, and so he remained there. Concealed in the dark, his master rose from his black throne.

"Is it done?" asked the cold voice that made Bedrager cringe in fear.

"Yes my Master", he replied.

"Good. If that boy is the one the Prophecy refers to, then we must work to ensure he cannot fulfil his role", said the voice.

"I will do as you ask Master. Anything else I should know before I depart for Voldemort's lair?"

"No. Make sure you stick to the plan. Any failures will be dealt with… unpleasantly." Bedrager could hear the cruel smirk that formed in his Master's lips as he spoke. He bowed his head.

"Master, if I may ask, what of the other?"

"He is not of your concern Apprentice. When the time comes, _I_ will personally deal with him." The room was quite cold, but the temperature seemed to drop even further as he spoke.

"My apologies Master. I was merely curious."

"Save your curiosity for when it is needed."

Bedrager recognized his dismissal and left the room, a bit relieved to exit his Master's presence. He quickly navigated the maze of tunnels that was his Master's home. As soon as he had exited the cave, he disappeared to prepare the things that he would need for the training of Voldemort's minions.

* * *

Galdir paced restlessly amongst the halls of Aglaron. _Why did I ever think that this was a good idea? What do I know of being a teenager?_ The questions seemed to loop endlessly in his mind. Each word that had been interchanged with Harry and his friends was analysed, every conversation dissected. He was far too stiff and formal, he noted.

_Almost like an adult_, he thought.

_And yet, that is what you are old friend_, replied the voice that had appeared when he had returned.

_Yes, but they cannot know that. More importantly, what would the adults think?_ asked Galdir.

_You justified it by being scion of Aglaron. Why do you fret so?_ replied the voice.

_Because there is too much at stake here. If I am found, the ramifications would be…_

_I live inside your mind Galdir. I think that we can stop lying to each other. We both know that is not the reason why you are afraid_, replied the voice softly.

Galdir shook his head. He knew that the voice was correct. He was scared because this meant experiencing something that he had never felt before. Just like when he had fallen in love with Inwen. He absentmindedly stroked the pendant that he now wore around his neck. A beautiful chain of silver was draped around his neck, ending in a single tear-shaped crystal. To any observer, this would look like an ordinary diamond. This assessment could not be any further from the truth. In reality, this gem; the parting gift that Inwen had left Galdir, was a piece of her essence. Since time immemorial, the weddings of the Elves were both the cause of great joy and despair for the immortal race. While life with their significant other could only be described as blissful, should Death separate them, the remaining Elf was left to live the rest of their lives in a state as close to hell as they could get. This became a problem, especially during the Great Wars of the Elves. Not only did these conflicts produce immense damage to their population, but the aftermath was every bit, if not worse, than the war itself. In order to prevent the high degree of suicides that resulted from this, the scholars developed a way to provide the mourning spouse with some relief. Harnessing the power of soul magic, they managed to make a shade of the Elves presence. One that would remain in the living world as long as was needed, while allowing the passing Elf to move on to the grassy plains of the Aethereum. Those that chose to do this left their partners with some solace that could carry them over the dark years that loomed ahead.

Predictably, this did not have the appeal that they had hoped it would. Only one that had lost their bonded mate could understand just how deep the wound went, and how much it hurt. In their agony, any reminder of their loved one was nothing more than sheer torture, and many died in seek of a reprieve of the pain of living. Those few that subsisted, usually wore them all the time, as a reminder of what they had once had, and as a way of providing themselves with a small measure of comfort.

Galdir was scared. He was well aware of it. The last time that he had allowed himself to feel resulted in an intricate game of lies and deceit in order to prevent Inwen from learning the reality of who he was. In the end, Galdir was left to endure the pain of having his soul ripped apart, never to be whole again. And so, in spite of the assurances of the voice that this would be a good experience for him, one that might remove the dark cloud that would forever hang over his heart, Galdir paced restlessly, wondering what the upcoming year at Hogwarts would bring.

_What are your thoughts on the two?_ asked the voice.

_I believe that they will find what they seek in each other_, answered Galdir.

_Before or after?_

_Hopefully after, but more than likely before. He is growing far too fast, and she is looking for what he will eventually offer._

_And what about him?_

_I do not know. Too much depends on things that we have no way of predicting the outcome of._

_Is there a suitor at least? _asked the voice.

_I do not believe so. Either way, I will not intervene in any form or way. It is a slippery slope that the path leads to, and I have no wish of falling_, replied Galdir. With a sigh, he retreated back to his quarters to continue preparing the affairs of his House for his departure to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	13. The Road to Hogwarts

XII. The Road to Hogwarts

Winds battered furiously at the dark stone of the citadel. The sea roared below, threatening to smash the very foundations that it was built upon. The constant rain, mixed with the freezing temperature that permeated the air created a constant sheet of ice that covered the outside of the fortress. Dementors swooped in and out of the structure, feeding on the occupants. This was the prison of Azkaban.

At the entrance, a lone Auror stood watch. Thanks to the efforts of Minister Fudge, there was no additional funding to be found on the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This, added on to the now constant raids on England, had stretched the Auror forces thin. This resulted in Azkaban having the lowest number of Aurors ever recorded. Dawn was approaching on the August the 7th. Hoping to finally finish his tour in this god-forsaken place, the Auror retreated to the privacy of his office, where he had a roaring fire that mitigated the effects of the Dementors. There was a piercing sound that broke through the cacophony of sound that enveloped the island, and the Auror quickly drew his wand and sounded the alarm. Azkaban was being attacked.

Bedrager landed with the rest of his team in the highest tower of the fortress. Instead of attempting to bring down the wards or attack from the air as was expected, his Master had told him to attack in the single most inconceivable way possible: appear on the highest point and fight your way down. Of course, for a normal squad of wizards this was sheer lunacy. Not only would they be entering at the point where the Dementors gathered, but they would also have to fight their way through every single Auror and level of Azkaban. Then again, this was no normal squad of wizards. Bellatrix was cackling with perverse glee, as the rest of the Death Eaters smiled predatorily. Over the sound of the roaring wind and the wailing alarms, Bedrager's voice rang with absolute power. "Remember your orders. We live none alive", he said. With a flick of his hand, he withdrew his sword from its scabbard and peacefully made its way down. The Dementors sensed the dark aura of power that emanated from the group and stayed clear of them. It was evident that this wizard knew magic that others did not, and they certainly did not wish to risk the possibility of him diminishing their numbers. Besides, if the tales that their brothers had told them were true, he was unaffected by their powers, and the magic that he controlled was so deadly that the entire species could be rendered extinct if they confronted him directly.

With a flick of her wand, Bellatrix blasted the door and entered Azkaban after Bedrager had crossed the door. They were faced with a squad of four Aurors, wands drawn and aimed at them.

"Drop your wands!" yelled one of them. Bedrager simply raised an eyebrow.

"Allow me to make a counter-proposal. Lower your wands and I will promise that your death will be quick and painless", he said with silky voice.

"You have no way of surviving this assault!" said another.

"Come now. Do you really believe that we would drop so conveniently into your lap without a plan?" asked Bedrager, his voice dropping ever so slightly.

"Surrender and we will ensure that you get a fair trial", said the third, though his confidence waivered ever so slightly.

"Well, let us analyse the situation then. You have made your threats, as your protocol requires you to. Upon seeing our refusal you will fire a combination of spells designed to either incapacitate or to knock us unconscious, by which point you will bind us and seal us here. However, what you don't realize is that you would be greatly underestimating us. See, by the time that your lips even uttered the first syllable of your spell, your bodies would be filled with such pain that your minds would simply crack into delectable madness from the strain. After that, if we feel merciful, we will end your life, by which point Azkaban would have already fallen and our mission would be completed." Bedrager took one step closer to them, his eyes glinting with sheer malevolence. "Now, are you sure you want to play this game?"

The next few moments went just as Bedrager had predicted. They attempted to launch a series of spells, only to be hit by several Torture Curses that made the Cruciatus seem like a massage. Bedrager's cold laugh rang through every corner of the fortress.

"My Lord, I thought you told us never to play with our food?" asked Bellatrix, barely able to hold the waves of pleasure that coursed her body.

"There is a time and a place for everything dear one. It is merely a matter of learning when and where to do so. Shall we?" he motioned forward, and they stepped over the writhing bodies of the Aurors, their throats raw from the intensities of their screams. The team split into groups, leaving Bedrager and Bellatrix together. Of course, she had threatened the others into this arrangement, but that was none of his concern. He strolled casually through Azkaban, occasionally striking down an Auror of two with blows from his blade so fast that the sword seemed to vanish in the air. He did, however, leave the majority to Bellatrix. His lip curled in disgust as he saw the way that Bellatrix seemed to tremble in pleasure as she executed each of her victims. She was an asset; one that he would have great pleasure in eliminating, but her usefulness had yet to run its course. Eventually they arrived at the cell that held Lucius Malfoy. The usually well-dressed Lord was now in rags that would make the clothes that Harry wore seem like the most exquisite things on this earth.

"Lucius Malfoy. An honour to meet you", said Bedrager with a bow. Bellatrix quickly followed suit.

"W-Who are you?" whispered Lucius.

"My name is Lord Bedrager. I am an ally of the Dark Lord Voldemort. I am here to rescue you", he replied.

"H-He w-will kill me", said Lucius.

"I assure you, dear brother", said Bellatrix with soft voice, "that he will not harm you."

"Indeed. As a matter of fact, I am here to offer you a new position", said Bedrager.

"Which position is that?" asked Lucius as he slowly staggered up.

"The one that you always coveted but was always denied to you: Minister of Magic", answered Bedrager.

"That will never happen. I lost everything when I was sent here…

"Lord Bedrager can replace what was lost, Lucius", answered Bellatrix.

"In order to prove my good intentions, I have brought this", said Bedrager as he removed a vial from his armour. It contained a clear liquid.

"And that is?" asked Lucius suspiciously.

"A potion of my own creation. One that will return you your old strength. It shall make you feel younger, and will remove all traces of your… unfortunate stay in this place", said Bedrager.

"How do I know it isn't poison?" asked Lucius.

"You dare question my Lord?" snarled Bellatrix.

"Now, now Bella. It is perfectly understandable for him to be cautious. After all, he has been here for a couple of months", said Bedrager. He then proceeded to uncork the vial and drink three drops from it. Upon seeing that he did not die, Lucius immediately lunged for the vial. Rodolphus Lestrange ran towards them, his robes soaked in blood.

"What is it Rodolphus? And what have I said about dirty robes? Do you wish the armour that was promised or not?" asked Bedrager. Rodolphus immediately waved his wand and his robes returned to their pristine condition. "Better. Now, what is it?"

"We have secured the island my Lord. There is one Auror that is holed up in the main office. The wards are too strong and we cannot pierce them. We have reason to believe that he has already contacted the Ministry for help", he answered.

"Help will not come. I happen to have the Ministry otherwise engaged with pointless procedures that followed the resignation of that idiot Fudge. We should, however, make haste." He turned to Lucius, who was already starting to resemble the aristocrat that he once was. "Do I have your allegiance Lucius?" he asked.

"Of course, my Lord", he said as he kneeled. Bedrager smiled.

"Bellatrix, please free him Rodolphus, round up the rest of our followers and have them assemble at the entrance of the room. Do not cast the Mark until I arrive", said Bedrager. He then vanished without a sound.

He reappeared in front of the doors that lead to the office. Around it were the Carrow twins, along with Rabastan.

"Do not tire yourselves. These wards are more powerful than what you can handle. For now", he waved his hand as he muttered an incantation and the barrier shattered like glass. With a flick of his wrist, the door opened and Bedrager strolled in. His shield shone brightly as it absorbed a volley of spells that were launched at him. "You have courage, I will grant you that. Misguided of course, but courage none the less", he said.

"I will not let you take this fortress", said the Auror.

"My dear man, the fortress is already mine. I now control every nook and crevice of this island", answered Bedrager.

"No you don't. As long as I am still standing, the wards will hold, and none of your minions may enter!"

"Well then that poses a problem does it not? Except that I have no interest in keeping the island. I already have what I came for."

"I will not let you leave alive. Even if I have to take you down with me." Bedrager gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You have a family, do you not?" he asked.

"That is not your business!" A spell flew from his wand, but was batted aside by Bedrager.

"Tell me, if you were to escape with your life, what would you think?"

"That I was a coward. A deserter", answered the Auror.

"Good answer. I suppose then that you would prefer a warrior's death?"

"I will die fighting."

"Very well. I shall honour your courage by allowing you one last duel", answered Bedrager.

The match was very short. The Auror knew from the start that he was outmatched, but he had fought on as the Gryffindor that he was. But he was tired from holding the wards, and his defence was sloppy. As he saw a bolt of magic head his way, he saw his life flash before his eyes, focusing on his beautiful daughter who had just gotten engaged, and the love of his life. A quick prayer asking for their protection, and his life ended in a flash of blue light.

The Death Eaters had gathered outside as was required and had watched with amazement the entire exchange. They had expected Bedrager to simply kill the man, but instead they had seen him offer a duel, and grant him the death of a warrior. They stared dumbstruck as Bedrager levitated the man. He laid the corpse on his desk and summoned his wand, clasping it between the Auror's hands. He then closed his eyelids and muttered a phrase that sounded very similar to a blessing. He then vanished the body so it could be buried and paid the proper respects.

"My Lord… Why?" asked Rabastan.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you. Even enemies can show respect to each other. That man carried himself with honour, and did not take the easy way out. When offered the chance to flee he chose to stand and fight. That is what makes the difference between the rest of them and him: honour. I hope that you may learn from the dead. You are not thugs. You are warriors, and as such you must behave", said Bedrager.

"But why simply not kill him?" asked Alecto.

"There is no greater gift that one can give a warrior than to grant him an honourable death. Once you are ready, I will teach you the ritual that you must follow whenever you encounter an opponent like this", he said. The rest of the Death Eaters were dumbstruck. Never in their years of servitude under Voldemort had they seen such behaviour. Yes, Bedrager was cruel, but even he had rules. He did not consider himself to be above them. The code of conduct that he abided was one that they had once ridiculed. Chivalry was considered a weakness. Seeing the way that Bedrager acted, not only with them but towards his enemies made them wonder if perhaps they had been wrong in following Voldemort all along. Given the choice between the slavery that represented Voldemort and the respect and honour that Bedrager stood by, the Death Eaters knew which they would choose. They all bowed, not only in acknowledgement of his teaching, but also in a sign of loyalty. They would no longer follow the slime that was Voldemort. They had finally found a higher purpose that they could serve fully.

Bellatrix felt her world crumble. All her life, she had been taught disdain and prepotency against those that were inferior. As soon as she had entered the service of Voldemort, her depravity seemed to grow without limit. When she saw Bedrager, her lust for power drew her to him. But now all that was for naught. Bedrager did not represent just might. He represented a set of values that her family had once believed in, but had lost along the way. He was the way to recovering the true power that the Wizards had once had long ago. She silently berated herself as she cast the Dark Mark after being motioned by Bedrager. How could she have been so stupid? How could she, Bellatrix Lestrange; no Black, allow herself to follow a man like Voldemort? It was then and there that she decided to end it. She was no longer Voldemort's slave. She was Bedrager's follower. With a silent pop, she vanished the fortress of Azkaban, leaving behind the life that she had once leaded. For the first time, she felt free.

* * *

Harry rose sleepily from his bed and headed towards the loo. Ever since the nightmare that he had on his birthday, Harry had been sleeping less than he usually did. He had refused to discuss the matter with anyone, since his scar had not hurt as it did whenever he had a vision from Voldemort, which lead him to believe that this was, in fact, just a nightmare. He had just finished dressing when Hermione knocked on his door.

"Harry hurry up or you're not getting breakfast!" she yelled.

"Coming!" answered Harry as he opened the door, which caused Hermione to give a yelp of surprise.

"You big prat! You scared me!" she swatted Harry in the arm, but was smiling almost as broadly as he was.

After his birthday, Hermione had seen a change in Harry's demeanour. He seemed more… forward if she could call it that. His attitude towards things had changed as well. He was much more dedicated in his studies, and seemed to be more eager to do things, even if they were small things like playing cards with her. He also had done something that Hermione had never seen before: he initiated physical contact. It was the morning after his birthday. Before she could even say good morning, Harry had given her a tight hug. Her shock was shared by Hedwig, who had received similar treatment. Though pleasantly surprised, Hermione could not shake the feeling that there was something else going on. Whenever Harry thought that she was not looking, she could see a brief shadow of pain cross his eyes. At first she had just associated this with the usual weight that he carried, but she eventually came to realize that this was different. She could not place her finger on what made it so, but she was certainly sure that it was. This had led to a brief discussion with Hedwig, but they had both decided that for this time, the reason did not matter. Hedwig had also noticed this behaviour towards her, but looking at the bigger picture, the why was irrelevant. What mattered was that Harry was coming out of his shell, being more forward. Though Hermione was perfectly aware of their little 'plan' to introduce Harry to as many girls as possible, she also found herself at a crossroads.

More often than not, she had found herself imagining Neville doing more… physical things with her. Granted, her scenarios never went beyond hugs, cuddles, and snogging, but the fact remained that they were there. She was definitely attracted to him, but that was the extent of her knowledge. And this lead to the concern that now occupied the forefront of her mind. If she ended up with Neville before Harry found someone, he would be left alone. Of course, she knew that no one could ever replace Harry in her heart, but he did not necessarily know this. Moreover, if he felt like he was once more left alone, he would retreat back into his shell and ruin any possibilities of being happy himself. The night before, Hermione had talked to Hedwig about this.

_Flashback_

* * *

"What do you think? Should I distance myself from Neville or…?" asked Hermione when she was done.

"I think that you are overthinking this Hermione, and you are doing what Harry would do. As much as I love Harry's nobility, to take things to the extent that he does is more often than not, a bad thing for him. It has leaded him to more suffering than if he had been just a bit selfish. Tell me, if Harry had tried to flirt with you earlier, would you have agreed to date him?" asked Hedwig.

"Probably… yes", she answered.

"Do you know why he didn't?"

"No."

"He did it because he didn't want to risk the friendship that he had with you. Hermione, you were the first woman in his life to ever show affection towards him, and this had a huge impact. However, he also knew that you were alone and had no friends. He was more than aware of the fact that your friendship with Ron was held up almost in its entirety thanks to him. Had he decided to act on the confusion of feelings that he felt towards you and failed, that friendship would have vanished, leaving you alone."

"So he sacrificed his feelings towards me?"

"In part, yes. Bear in mind, he has no idea what love really is. What he felt towards you was more akin to filial love, but he did not know this. Given that he had no examples to draw from, the only alternative that he could see was being with you romantically. There is a degree of insecurity that played into his decision of not acting out or even approaching you on this. But there certainly is a part of his self-sacrifice at play, even if he does not consciously realize this", explained Hedwig.

"So your point is that I shouldn't follow his example?" asked Hermione.

"Yes. Being like Harry is not a type of life that anyone can lead. You certainly are not one of those people, and you should be happy for it. Yes, there is a certain level of balance in Harry's life that offsets the horrors that he has lived, but it is not the kind of life that I would wish on to anyone. That level of solitude does not sit with everyone."

"So I should…?"

"Be selfish Hermione. Follow your heart, wherever it may lead. You can rest assured that Harry will support your decision regardless of the way he feels", answered Hedwig.

"But Harry…"

"Hermione listen to me. Regardless of our little schemes, whether Harry decides to date someone or not will be entirely up to him and there is absolutely nothing that we can do about it. Sacrificing yourself over this is simply not worth it. Who knows, it may prove to be the catalyst that will push him to do so" said Hedwig.

* * *

Hermione mulled over what she had said. She knew that there was truth in those words. Deep inside, she knew that she did not have the strength to carry the life that Harry did. Her heart could simply not bear the solitude that he led. However, it also cried with anguish at the sight of perhaps the most important person in his life, at least as family goes, alone and with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Hermione shelved those thoughts for later. There was no point in worrying about it without clearing up what she felt first. Harry descended after her with his trunk in tow. After a somewhat rushed breakfast, Remus shrunk their trunks so they could be carried in their pocket. Hermione Apparated with Tonks and Harry left with Remus. A couple of pops later, they appeared in Platform 9¾ with plenty of time to spare. This was a personal first for Harry, since he strongly believed that the Weasleys were simply incapable of arriving early or on time for that matter.

"You take care of yourself this year cub", said Remus as he hugged Harry.

"You too Moony. Take good care of him Tonks", he said as he hugged her as well.

"Will do Harry. I am not letting this wolf out of my sight!" she answered.

"Might be a bit awkward in the loo…" muttered Harry just loud enough so they could hear him. Remus turned a brilliant shade of pink and Tonks almost died of embarrassment. Hermione had no concerns in laughing openly at their discomfort. Harry laughed as well, his green eyes sparkling like a certain headmaster. He noticed the entrance of Galdir and Aglareth, who had run into Neville and Augusta.

"Hey Neville! Hey Galdir!" said Harry with a smile.

"Harry, Hermione", said Galdir with a bow which was mimicked by Aglareth.

"Mr Lupin and Miss Tonks. It's a pleasure to see you again", said Aglareth.

"Please Lady Aglareth. You can call me Remus. Mr Lupin makes me feel older than I already am."

"It's just Tonks. Or Nymphadora I guess", said Tonks meekly.

"I am glad to see you are using your full name Nymphadora. As my son said, it simply is not correct to be ashamed of one's real name, especially one as beautiful as yours. Since we are amongst friends, you may call me Aglareth", she answered.

"So how was the end of your summer Neville?" asked Harry.

"Pretty good. I got a new wand! 13 inches cherry and unicorn hair", he said as he showed them his wand.

"That's great Neville. How does it feel?" asked Hermione.

"Natural. Don't get me wrong, my dad's wand was great and all, but it just didn't feel right", said Neville.

"The wand chooses the wizard", said Galdir with a smile.

"That's what Mr Ollivander said. Anyways, shall we board the train before it leaves? I don't think that Harry wishes to make a repeat of his grand entrance from second year!" said Neville.

"Don't remind me", said Harry.

"What grand entrance?" asked Galdir.

"We'll tell you later. Come on!" said Hermione.

Galdir turned to face Aglareth while the rest of them said their goodbyes. After a quick privacy ward was erected, Galdir spoke.

"Keep me informed of any eventualities. Have either Canadion or Anuon send me the letters in Ancient Elvish. That way they cannot be read", said Galdir.

"I will. Take care of yourself", said Aglareth.

"Always do. May the stars watch over you", said Galdir.

"And may Magic watch over you", she replied. Galdir bowed and dropped the ward, heading towards the scarlet engine ahead.

* * *

The quad of teens made their way through the train, looking for an empty compartment. They found one close to the back as usual, and they all made their way in. With a wave of their wands, they restored their trunks and proceeded to face the daunting task of hefting them on to the racks. Galdir simply picked it up like it weighed nothing and placed it neatly on the rack. Neville imitated him, though with nowhere nearly as much ease. Then again, Neville was not an elf, who possessed greater physical strength than humans did. It also helped that Galdir never actually lifted the trunk. He just pretended he did. Through the years he had developed his telekinesis to the point where he could levitate objects mere millimetres from his hands so it gave the illusion that he was actually lifting or moving the object in question.

Neville promptly moved to lift Hermione's trunk, which caused her to turn a very light shade of pink. Galdir helped Harry place his and then the four sat down, with Harry and Galdir on one side and Neville and Hermione on the other. Whether this move by Neville was deliberate or not is unknown, but he certainly did not complain of the outcome either way.

"So Galdir, are you excited to see Hogwarts?" asked Hermione.

"I am. I have done some reading on the castle so I am familiar with the descriptions that people have given. Of course, as it often happens, reality is another matter entirely", replied the elf.

"True. I still can remember the first time that I saw those turrets, the battlements…"

"Yes, I remember that as well. I wonder if you will go with the first years or with us?" asked Neville.

"I was told to go with the first years. I am to be sorted with them. Should create quite the stir for there has not been a transfer in quite some time", replied Galdir.

"Speaking of stirs, did you read the paper this morning?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, but why should I keep you from entertaining us with its content?" asked Harry with a smile. Hermione gave him a mock glare.

"_Well_, Voldemort attacked Azkaban! They freed a lot of Death Eaters, amongst them Lucius Malfoy", said Hermione. Neville's face hardened, as did Harry's. Galdir eyed her with interest.

"How did they manage it? From what I hear, Azkaban is as impenetrable as it gets", said Galdir.

"That's the thing, no one knows. At least if the Prophet is to be believed", said Neville.

"There's also the fact that they left none alive", said Hermione.

"That seems rather odd, does it not? Voldemort is not known for being particularly tidy", said Galdir.

"What's even weirder is that the body of the Auror that sounded the alarm was found in his bed, with a kind of stasis charm that they could not recognize. He was just laid there, ready to be buried, while the rest of the victims were slaughtered in the most brutal ways", said Hermione. Harry scratched his head in thought, while Galdir steepled his fingers.

"Odd indeed", he muttered. The train gave a soft lurch forward as it began its journey to Hogwarts.

"Come on Harry, we need to go to the prefect's meeting", said Hermione.

"I didn't know you were made a Prefect. Congratulations Harry!" said Neville.

"Thanks Nev. See you guys in a bit", said Harry.

As soon as they had left, Galdir turned to face Neville.

"So tell me about this grand entrance of Harry's", he said.

"Oh! It was all the school talked about during the start of our second year. At least until the attacks started happening. Apparently Harry and Ron drove a flying car to Hogwarts. They crash landed it on the Whomping Willow that is in the grounds. Snape was furious!" answered Neville with a smile.

"Did he? He certainly seems to have a knack of getting into things doesn't he?" said Galdir.

"You have no idea. First year, he fought Voldemort. Second he killed a basilisk, or at least that's what the rumours say. Third he somehow managed to free Sirius Black. Fourth was the Triwizard Tournament and the resurrection of Voldemort. Then last year was the Department of Mysteries. Yeah, I would say he does have a knack for it."

"I had no idea. Some of these things did make their way out into the public, but they were few and far between. He does not exactly have it easy does he?"

"Not really. He's had a hard life." Neville went silent after this. Galdir sensed that perhaps he had already gotten all the information that he could from Neville. _The loyalty that Harry commands is nothing short of impressive_, thought Galdir.

"Well Neville, if you will excuse me, I am going for a quick walk. I will be back soon." Galdir rose and exited the compartment.

He slowly rubbed his temples as he felt the beginnings of a migraine starting to form. There was just too much noise coming from everyone's minds, and it was taking its toll on him. The way that he had been explained Absolute Legilimency worked was like a master key. Each person's mind was like a room. If they had Occlumency training, the door would be locked, otherwise it would be open. His powers gave him the ability to open all lock doors, regardless of skill or power. It was the unlocked doors that represented a problem. The fact that he could open all doors did not mean that he chose to do so. If a door was open however, it was almost impossible to ignore the noise that came from it. Now multiply that 'noise' by the total number of students, and one can easily understand why Galdir was having such a pounding headache. He momentarily considered forcing his magic to fold like it had done that time in his youth, but the memories of the end result came flooding in and quickly made him dismiss the idea. As he walked around aimlessly, his attention was momentarily drawn to a compartment where a girl had just thought Harry's name. Galdir recognized her to be Daphne Greengrass, but he elected to ignore the rest of her line of thought. As it was, the last thing that he wanted was to get into the mind of a teenage girl. His life was complicated enough already.

* * *

After their boring prefect meeting and completing their round, Harry and Hermione returned to the compartment. They found Galdir comfortably seated in what appeared to be a meditative pose and Neville with his nose deep inside a Herbology book. He turned around at the sound of the door opening and smiled at Hermione.

"Hey you two. Harry, there was a kid that came by asking for you. I told him you were busy, and he left you a note from someone named Slughorn", said Neville handing him the note

"What does it say?" asked Hermione as Harry read the note.

"It was an invitation to some form of tea party in his compartment, but it seems that I missed it", said Harry with a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong Harry?" asked Neville. Harry eyed Galdir cautiously.

"How long has he been like this?" he asked.

"A while now. Hasn't made a sound too. It's weird really. Looks like a statue if you're not paying attention." Seemingly convinced, Harry sat down without disturbing Galdir.

"Dumbledore gave me an assignment. He wants me to befriend Slughorn. Or at least make him believe that I like him", said Harry.

"My Gran talked about him. He seems to be attracted to those with power", said Neville.

"He is. He 'collects' them I guess, and now he has his eyes on me", said Harry.

"Any ideas of how you're going to do this?" asked Hermione.

"Not really. I mean, given that he is attracted to me, it shouldn't really be that hard should it? Speaking of hard things, has Malfoy made his yearly round?" asked Harry.

"No. Odd isn't it? He usually never misses a chance to strut around like a peacock", said Neville. Hermione snickered at his comment.

"Far too beautiful a creature to be compared to one such as Malfoy. Perhaps a ferret would be more accurate?" said Galdir as he slowly came back from his trance. Of course, he was perfectly aware of what had transpired during that time, but he decided to feign ignorance. Hermione gave a shriek and jumped unconsciously onto Neville's lap, which promptly caused them to turn a very deep shade of crimson.

"How long have you been listening?" asked Harry cautiously.

"Long enough to hear Neville compare Malfoy to a peafowl", answered Galdir. Harry visibly relaxed at this. "It appears that I chose a good time to end my trance. I would have otherwise missed an opportunity to take another jab at the brat." Galdir's eyes shone with mischief.

"But not just any ferret", said Harry. "His full title is the Amazing Bouncing Ferret. Alright you two?" asked Harry, causing two completely different reactions. Hermione and Neville turned even more red, if that was possible, and Galdir broke in gales of laughter.

"I would gladly go see such a show", said Galdir between bouts of laughter.

"You missed it in fourth year. Our Defence professor turned him into one", said Neville as he slowly recovered from his embarrassment. Hermione had carefully extricated herself from his lap and now was trying desperately not to look at Neville for fear of her face flushing again. Fortunately for them, Fate intervened in the form of the trolley arriving to their compartment.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked sweetly.

Harry immediately jumped and bought pretty much the remainder of the trolley. He then distributed the loot.

"Harry, please allow me to…"

"I wouldn't bother Galdir. Harry's like this. And he won't accept your money so I would save my breath", said Hermione with a smile. Galdir nodded and bowed to Harry as a sign of gratitude. He then turned to the package that had been handed to him.

"Interesting. I have never seen something like this", said Galdir. The Elves had never delved into the art of confectionary, preferring instead to perfect their culinary arts with their meat-free diets.

"You've never seen a chocolate frog?" asked Neville as he slowly ate his pastry.

"No. My mother and I follow a different diet I suppose. We never had any of these in the house", said Galdir.

"Well, I guess it's up to us to introduce you then. Be careful though, they really do jump. I lost my first one after it jumped out the window", said Harry.

"Thanks for the warning", said Galdir with a smile. He then proceeded to open the package and catch the frog as it attempted to leap towards a place that did not involve being eaten. Hermione stared at the quickness of Galdir's reflexes. It was almost like he _knew_ where the frog was going to be. She had only seen such things from Harry, and even his weren't that developed.

"How did you do that?" asked Hermione.

"Do what?" said Galdir as he slowly ate the frog, relishing the taste and texture in his mouth.

"I've never seen anyone have reflexes like that. They're even better than yours Harry", she said.

"I'll believe that when I see it. Harry is the best Seeker in the world", said Neville. Harry blushed at the praise.

"I'm not that good", he mumbled.

"To answer your question, I was trained in fencing, along with other arts. My mother ensured that my reflexes were honed as much as possible. I guess that's why", answered Galdir softly.

"We'll have to have a match then", said Neville. "To see who's better: you or Harry." Galdir laughed at this.

"I have no doubts that Harry would beat me. I may be fast, but if the stories that I've heard of the Quidditch matches at Hogwarts are true, then Harry outclasses me by far", he said.

The sky slowly darkened as they made their way to Hogwarts. Eventually, the time came for Galdir and Neville to change into their robes, since Harry and Hermione had already done so before their meeting. After the quick change, Neville eyed Galdir with a grin.

"You're going to have to fend off the girls with a club of some sort Galdir. Even I have to admit you look good!" Galdir gave him a mock glare.

"I would like to think that they can behave in a civilized manner", he answered. Hermione snorted.

"Yeah good luck finding one like that. They're probably going to be drooling like the boys were when Fleur came during fourth year", said Hermione.

"Fleur Delacour?" asked Galdir.

"Soon to be Weasley. Why, do you know her?" asked Harry.

"She is a distant relative from my family", said Galdir.

"So you're part Veela?" asked Neville.

"I guess. Veela is not something that you can be only part, Neville. You either are or you are not. There is no in-between. My ancestry is Veela, hence I am Veela. However, the powers that they possess, such as the allure, are not present in men as they are in women. We also do not inherit the ability to throw fireballs or turn avian when we get upset. But we do inherit the beauty of the Veela. Hence why I can have a normal conversation with a woman without having to be too concerned with her being entranced", said Galdir.

"Is your mother Veela as well?" asked Hermione.

"I am not entirely sure. I would be inclined to say yes, but I am not certain enough to say she is with confidence."

The train soon came to a stop and they exited. Amidst the noise, the bellows of Hagrid could be heard from afar.

"Firs' years over 'ere", yelled the half-giant.

"Well, this is where we split. I shall see you at the feast, yes?" said Galdir. The trio nodded and they left for the carriages, while Galdir walked slowly, trying to avoid the throng of first year students and their awe-struck faces.

"Righ' then. This way to the boats! Come on now, follow me" said Hagrid as he motioned them towards the fleet of boats that sat at the shore of the Black Lake.

Galdir gracefully boarded one of the boats, making sure that he did not disturb the water as he did so. The rest of the first years seemed to be intimidated by his presence and avoided the boat he was in. Hagrid noticed this, but he knew that this was the new transfer, and so ignored it. He boarded the last one and gave the command for the boats to start their slow glide over the glassy surface of the lake. Galdir tensed a bit as he sensed the edge of the wards loom closer. He was confident that the trip to the Casket would work, but it still did not account for the fact that it would be difficult to deal with the situation if it failed. He felt the tingle of the wards as he crossed them, and then relaxed when he saw that nothing happened. As soon as they turned a corner, he felt his breath be taken away as he stared at the magnificence that was the castle. _No human could __have built something like this_, he thought as he admired the work of the Elves. Even after 1,000 years the castle still seemed to glow with the power that it had been imbued with upon its creation. Galdir was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the boats come to a stop. He snapped out of his reverie and followed the line of first years as they headed towards the main doors of the castle. As the massive wooden doors opened, Galdir smiled and entered what would be his home for the upcoming months, while silently muttering a prayer that all would go well.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" said an elderly witch.


End file.
